


A World Like None That You've Ever Known

by sparklepox (travelingpsycho)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-13 08:39:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 67,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5702107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/travelingpsycho/pseuds/sparklepox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Han has led an easy life as the youngest of six brothers in a peaceful kingdom, but all that changes when he and his men are attacked on the road home. Now he must rely on an elf named Minseok and other kind strangers to keep him safe, help him find his way home, and face what he finds there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings for the whole fic:** many minor character deaths, violence, blood, even more nameless character deaths, excess cuddling
> 
>  **Notes:** Those character tags may look excessive at first, but I swear all those people do play significant roles in this fic eventually. Also, this gets both the Gen and M/M category because there won't be more than UST for a long time and even then romance isn't the focus, so...be aware of that. With thanks to Into The Woods for the title and Google for helping me come up with enough different magical things, and also Lily, Difa and Kayleigh.

The woods are quiet as Han and his five men (plus one pack horse) ride through them. Han isn't surprised that even the birds seem to be hiding away, as dreary as the weather is. It's not raining hard enough to justify stopping in the middle of the day, and in any case there are no inns in these rugged lands so close to the border between Daratso and Yidan. If they want to sleep in warm beds in their own kingdom tonight, they have no choice but to ride on, rain or no rain. 

Han's not enjoying the ride, but he tries to keep his spirits up with thoughts of home. If all goes well, they should arrive in the capital in eight days or so. It's been nearly four months since Han left the castle, and he's eager to be back in his own rooms and see his family, and to eat the familiar foods of his homeland. He knows it's his fate to leave the kingdom for good once he gets married, but that won't happen for some time still. For now, he's excited to be home again soon.

"You're quiet, prince," says Hakyeon, the leader of his personal guard. "How are you handling the rain?"

"I'm fine," Han assures him. "Just thinking about home."

"We're not quite there yet," Hakyeon says, but his smile says he's looking forward to it too. "I'd be happy with a simple inn tonight, as long as it's dry and warm."

"Me too," Han agrees. "A hot meal would be nice too."

The men fall into a discussion of what they'd like to eat and perhaps drink tonight and Han goes quiet, letting their chatter wash over him. It's nice to be on the road with his men, without the restrictions of castle life and the pressure that even the youngest prince of six feels. He's eager to be home, but he's also going to enjoy the simple pleasures of travel while they last.

Han barely hears the soft cry of a bird and he perks up, thinking that perhaps the rain is coming to an end. He's about to mention it to his men when the first attack comes flying through the trees to the right. Before Han can identify what it is or make any attempt to dodge, it hits him in the side with enough force to knock him from his horse. He yelps in pain as he tumbles to the ground, grabbing futilely in the direction of the reins to keep his panicked horse from bolting.

"What—" Hakyeon starts to ask, but the question dissolves into a cry of pain. Han stumbles to his feet, reaching for his sword, but it's only half out of the scabbard when he's hit again in the back of the leg. He touches the spot, but he can't find an arrow or a stone, only blood welling out of a round wound. What kind of strange weapons are they using?

"Wait!" Han yells. If it's bandits attacking them, they might stop if they know who he is, or at least let his men go as long as they can keep Han. It must be bandits, because these aren't dangerous lands. Who would want to hurt a prince in his own land?

Whatever plea Han meant to make dies in his throat as he's hit again, this time in the shoulder, the combined pain from three wounds threatening to overwhelm him. The last thing he remembers before the world goes dark is a sharp pain along the side of his head and a scream that sounds like it comes from a wild beast unlike any he's ever heard.

***

Han wakes disoriented, his head throbbing. It's dark when he opens his eyes, and he has to blink a few times to realize that it's not the darkness of unconsciousness lingering but the ordinary dark of nighttime. It's not raining anymore, but he's lying on something slightly damp—cloth, he thinks, a blanket or maybe a cloak. He doesn't have a cloak, and his blanket is in his pack, gone with his horse.

He tries to sit up so he can look around, but his entire body protests the movement. It's nothing like the pain he felt before, but everything aches, even worse than when he was learning to joust and got knocked from his horse repeatedly.

"Hey," an unfamiliar voice protests. "Careful. You shouldn't be moving yet."

"Where am I?" Han asks. "Who are you? What happened?" Panic rises in his chest as his memory of the earlier events becomes clearer. Who attacked them so suddenly and with such deadly force? Are his men all right?

"Slow down," the same voice says gently. Whoever the speaker is, he doesn't sound like the kind of person who could do the damage the earlier attackers did. Besides, if he wanted Han dead, he could have killed him while he was unconscious.

More gingerly than before, Han rolls over onto his back. It's too dark to see much, but he can make out a small, round face framed by medium length hair and dark eyes turned in his direction. The man smiles at him. "See? You don't need to be scared of me."

"Who are you?" Han asks again, not entirely convinced by the man's harmless appearance.

"Just a traveler. My name is Minseok."

"Minseok," Han repeats. An ordinary enough name, for what that's worth. "I'm—" He hesitates. Does Minseok know who he is? If he doesn't, will it be better or worse to tell him the truth? Han has never felt the need to be afraid of citizens of his own kingdom (assuming they're still in his kingdom, as near to the border as they were when they were attacked), but no one has ever truly tried to hurt him until today.

If Minseok finds his hesitation suspicious, he doesn't say so. Instead, he says lightly, "If you don't want to tell me, why don't we pick a name? How about Kibum? I had a friend named Kibum when I was younger."

Han almost starts to smile, but then he remembers the situation he's in and it falls off his face. "Han," he says quietly. "My name is Han." It's not such an uncommon name. Without his family name or title, there's no reason for Minseok to suspect who he is. He's dressed simply for travel, and he doesn't wear a crown. Most of the valuable belongings that might mark him as a prince are in his pack, wherever that is. All he has is a single gold bracelet hidden under his sleeve, without any distinguishing markings on it.

If there's any sign of recognition on Minseok's face, Han can't see it in the dark. When he speaks, there's no hint of it in his polite response. "It's nice to meet you, Han. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances."

That reminds Han that there are more pressing things to discuss than names. "Where are we?" he asks. "How did I get here? We were attacked, and—it wasn't you who did it, was it?" He doesn't know yet whether Minseok is trustworthy, but surely a single man couldn't have pulled off such a sudden and devastating attack.

"No, no," Minseok answers quickly. "I was only passing by when I heard the commotion. I..." Han can just barely make out his frown, and suddenly he's very afraid to hear what Minseok will say next.

"The others?" he asks when Minseok doesn't continue.

Minseok looks down, and Han's heart sinks. "I'm sorry. They were already beyond my help."

Han can't believe what he's hearing. Hakyeon and his other men who have protected him for years, all dead just like that? What kind of enemy could take out well-trained fighters so easily, and why would they do it? And if they were so dangerous and ready to kill, why would they leave Han alive and let him escape? "Why?" he chokes out.

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Minseok answers, gentle like he knows Han is on the verge of breaking. "I expect you have a better idea than me why someone might want to kill you."

Grief and fear and anger settle in Han's throat and make it hard to breathe. He chokes on the emotions when he tries to speak.

For a long moment, Minseok is quiet, looking at him like he can see everything Han is thinking despite the darkness. "We have a prince named Han. I heard he's expected back in the kingdom soon." He waits, giving Han a chance to respond, but when he doesn't, he continues, "If I wanted you dead, all I had to do was leave you there. I realize you have no reason to trust me, but I'm all you have right now."

As painful as it is to think about that, he's right. Han swallows hard, trying to find his voice again. "I'm the prince," he says, thin and shaky. "I was traveling with my guard. We were taken by surprise. I don't know why anyone would want to k-kill me." He wraps his arms around himself, ignoring the protest of his aching muscles. "Who were those people? The way they attacked..."

Minseok shakes his head. "I don't know. I didn't get a good look at anyone."

"Do you think they'll come after us?" The thought fills Han with dread, so he's relieved when Minseok shakes his head.

"We've been here for hours without any sign that we were followed. Of course we'll need to be careful, but I don't think anyone knows where we are."

Han still has so many questions, but he's tired and in pain and sad and he doesn't think Minseok can answer any of them. He lets himself droop back onto (presumably) Minseok's cloak. "Try to get some rest," Minseok tells him. "In the morning, I'll take you to someone who can help you feel better."

Han wants to ask about that, but his head is starting to swim from fatigue or the after-effects of his earlier head wound and his eyes don't want to stay open any longer. In spite of everything that's happened and all his fears about what might happen from now on, he quickly falls into a deep and dreamless sleep.

***

When Minseok shakes Han awake, the sun is already high in the sky. "I'm sorry to wake you, but we should get moving soon. I don't know how quickly you'll be able to travel right now."

Han nods and struggles to sit up, wincing as his head and just about every other part of him protests. He's not as light-headed as before, but other than that, sleep doesn't seem to have done him much good. He doesn't know if he can even get up, let alone walk in this state. "Where are we going?" he asks Minseok.

"I have a friend who can help heal you," Minseok explains. 

"You mean a doctor?" Han asks.

"Something like that." Minseok forestalls any further questions by offering Han some food, a piece of dried meat and a handful of some kind of berries. Han eats slowly and without really tasting the food, and without thinking about whether he can really trust Minseok not to poison him. Like Minseok said the night before, he doesn't have anyone else to rely on now, and he's in no condition to take care of himself.

When he's finished eating, Han braces himself before trying to get to his feet. Minseok jumps up to offer him a much needed hand up, wrapping an arm around Han's back to keep him upright once he gets there. Han is surprised to realize that Minseok is shorter than him, although the thought is buried under several layers of cursing inwardly at the pain. Whatever it was he was attacked with, it's clear that the damage is far too much to be healed by a good night's rest.

Minseok waits until he's steady on his feet before taking a step back, still holding onto Han's arm and sticking close like he thinks his help will be needed again soon. "Do you think you can walk?" he asks. "I'm afraid I don't have a horse to offer you."

"I'll manage," Han says, gritting his teeth. It hurts less now that he's stable, but he doesn't know how it'll feel if he tries to walk. 

Minseok looks at him all too knowingly and says, "Wait here for a minute. You can sit back down if you need to." He lets go of Han's arm, waits a moment to see that he's not going to fall over, then disappears into the trees.

Han's afraid of what would happen if he tried to sit down, so he stays where he is. The sound of Minseok's footsteps seems to have disappeared immediately, and the silence makes him nervous. Unlike yesterday (was it just yesterday?), sunlight is filtering through the trees and birds are chirping all around, but he's still on edge. If Minseok leaves him, or if someone attacks while he's away, Han in his current condition is as good as helpless.

It seems like forever, though it's probably not more than ten minutes, before Minseok returns. He's so quiet Han doesn't hear him coming and he jumps (and then regrets it) when Minseok suddenly materializes between the trees to his right. "Sorry I scared you," Minseok says.

"You just startled me," Han mutters, but he's too relieved to really mind. "Where did you go?"

"I got you something that should help." Minseok is holding what looks like a not-terribly-impressive bouquet, little white flowers attached to a thin, branching stem. He breaks off a small piece and hands it to Han. "If you chew this, it should help with the pain. It wears off quickly, but I brought a good supply." He holds up the rest of his bouquet to show Han.

Han tentatively puts the piece in his mouth and starts to chew the nearly tasteless flowers. At first, nothing happens and he wonders if Minseok really knows what he's talking about, but after a minute, he realizes that the pain he's been trying to ignore the whole time he's been standing has suddenly lessened. It's not gone, but it's more bearable now, maybe even enough that he'll be able to walk. "It really works!"

Minseok grins, looking part pleased and part wryly amused. "I know what I'm talking about." He offers the bouquet to Han, who places some in his pockets. They're not the most practical pockets and he can't fit it all in, so Minseok puts the remainder away in a pouch at his side. "Can you walk now?"

"I think so." Minseok takes his arm again and Han takes a few tentative steps. It still hurts, but not so much that he can't stand it. "I'll be fine," he says with more confidence than he feels. "Let's go."

It's slow going and it galls Han to be hobbling so slowly and still need Minseok's help, but at least they're moving. Minseok doesn't call attention to his condition, except to occasionally remind Han to chew more of the plant he found, and that helps Han feel less self-conscious about it. "Who is this friend of yours that we're going to see?" he asks, hoping for some distraction.

"His name is Yixing," Minseok says. "He's..." He hesitates so briefly that Han's not sure if he imagined it. "He's a healer witch."

"A witch?" Han laughs (making the pain in his side and shoulder spike). "I thought witches are always grizzled old women." He remembers witches in the children's books his mother (and sometimes his older brothers when the queen was too busy) used to read to him. They were always ugly and invariably evil. He was scared by them as a child, but his mother assured him that he was in no danger because there was no such thing as witches.

"Some are," Minseok says evenly, like he doesn't understand what's funny. "And some are nice young men like Yixing."

"I thought men are wizards." The wizards in his storybooks were usually old men, but they were more likely to be benevolent than witches, closer to what Minseok is describing. 

"Wizards are something different." Han can't tell if Minseok is pulling his leg or if he honestly believes in what he's saying. The second option is worrying, because if Minseok is unhinged enough to believe that magic is real, Han will have to seriously reevaluate his opinion of him.

But then, the last thing he can afford to do right now is drive Minseok away, so Han will just have to let him believe what he wants. This Yixing, too, can call himself a witch or a wizard or even a unicorn just as long as he's able to help Han heal. "I see," he responds neutrally. He doesn't know if Minseok notices anything strange about his reaction, but if he does, he doesn't mention it. In any case, Han decides it's probably better not to ask any more questions.

Their travel seems interminable in Han's current state. They're traveling off the beaten path, which makes it worse, but Han is relieved that they don't encounter a soul. They stop to rest a few times, but at last, when the sun has dipped down far enough to make the thicker trees cast ominous shadows all around them, they arrive at a small hut. "Here we are," Minseok declares. He makes a sound like an owl hooting, and some fifteen seconds later, the door opens and an ordinary looking young man opens the door.

He's smiling when the door opens, but as soon as he takes in the situation, his expression turns serious. "Come in." He hurries over to the opposite side of Han from Minseok, wrapping a careful arm around his lower back. Han doesn't resist, leaning into him as he realizes how much this journey has taken out of him.

The man (presumably Yixing) ushers Han into the hut and right onto the bed that occupies half the room. Han gratefully sinks down onto it, letting his tired body relax and feeling some of the pain (which the flowers only do so much to control) fade away. "What happened?" Yixing asks as he kneels by the bed. Before Minseok can answer, he turns to Han. "My name is Yixing. We can introduce ourselves properly later. May I examine you?"

"I...yes." Han is perplexed, to tell the truth, because Yixing seems neither deluded nor anything like a witch. He's not at all the kind of person Han would expect to live in a hut in the middle of a thick forest, so polite and put together.

As he thinks about that, Minseok explains for him, "This is Han. He was attacked and hurt badly. I was able to heal him with the charm you gave me, but his injuries were serious enough to use it up."

A charm? Healing? Han is lost, but as Yixing's gentle hands move aside his clothes to examine his injuries, he feels calm, like he knows somehow that he can trust Yixing to take care of him.

"Do you know what did it?" Yixing asks. "These look like energy blast wounds."

"Yes," Minseok confirms. "Powerful ones." His eyes dart over to Han, and he doesn't elaborate.

Yixing looks up at Minseok for a moment, but then he only nods. "I won't be able to get it all today, but I'll do what I can, and if you can stay for a day or two, I'll finish up and make you a fresh charm before you go. I suspect you may need it."

"Thank you," Minseok says.

Turning his attention back to Han, Yixing says, "Close your eyes and try to relax. I promise I won't hurt you."

Without any reason, Han believes him, so he closes his eyes. Yixing's hands are warm on the bare skin of his leg, his side, his shoulder and finally his head, each of the places he was injured. Then he places his fingers on Han's temples and stays still for a while. It almost feels like warmth is pulsating from his hands into Han's body, but he's probably imagining it. It's not so different from the throbbing pain Han felt when he woke up, only pleasant, giving an illusion of movement where there is none.

When Yixing moves his hands away, Han lies still at first. He feels so relaxed that it takes a few moments for the realization to penetrate his consciousness that the pain he felt before is, while not completely gone, greatly lessened. He feels like he can breathe normally again instead of being tense and afraid to move. He opens his eyes to find Minseok and Yixing watching him, and he smiles. "Whatever you did, it really helped."

Yixing beams like Han has paid him an amazing compliment. "Wonderful! You must be tired after walking here, so why don't you rest while Minseok and I go talk."

Han feels much better overall, but he does feel tired. He's curious what Yixing and Minseok want to talk about without him, but he doesn't want to move, so he reluctantly nods his agreement. He'll press them for more information later, once he has some energy back.

The other two men go just outside, and Han listens to their conversation, unable to make out the words. Eventually, he dozes off, and he wakes up to Yixing bustling around with a tea kettle while Minseok sits at the foot of the bed. "Did I sleep for long?" he asks. It's dark outside the window, the room dimly lit by a small lamp.

"Not long," Yixing answers. "It gets dark quickly here."

"How are you feeling?" Minseok asks.

"Better." Han sits up, and his muscles still protest a little, but it's nothing like the painful struggle it was before, more of an ordinary soreness. "What did you do, exactly?" he asks.

"I healed you," Yixing says simply, without hesitation. "That's what I do."

"As a witch, I hear." Han laughs a little, but Yixing doesn't seem to take it as a joke any more than Minseok did.

"That's right." He smiles like it's nothing. Han thinks he catches a certain wariness in his eyes, but maybe it's only the light, making him see shadows everywhere. In any case, Yixing doesn't say anything more on the subject, instead offering him a cup of tea. He gives another to Minseok, and then goes to pour one more for himself.

They sit in silence for a minute or two, sipping their tea, but Han's mind starts to wander in directions he's not ready to go, so he asks, "How do you two know each other?"

Minseok and Yixing exchange a glance and both of them smile. "A friend brought me to be healed by Yixing," Minseok says.

"He had a bit of a disagreement with a wild boar," Yixing explains. 

Han bursts out laughing, and Minseok chuckles too. "You could call it that. Yixing fixed me up and then we hung around for another day to eat the boar in question."

"And since then Minseok stops by sometimes to bring me food or strays he's picked up in the woods." Yixing smiles at Han to show he doesn't mean anything bad by the label.

"Do you live here all alone?" Han asks. It seems like a lonely existence, and Yixing doesn't strike him thus far as the kind of person who would want to be alone all the time.

"I do," Yixing says, "but I have regular visitors."

"All the way out here in the woods?" Han asks, surprised.

"As you've seen, there are people who know how to find me, and I do venture out to nearby towns sometimes. If there's anyone who's all alone, it's Minseok."

Han turns to look at Minseok, curious. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn't know where Minseok lives or with who, or if he lives anywhere at all. Minseok turns away, making a dismissive noise. "Ignore Yixing. He just worries that I'm lonely."

"But you—" Yixing starts to protest.

"Yixing." Minseok's interruption isn't sharp, but firm, making it clear that he's not going to talk about this further. "Not now. Your patient has had a long, trying day and he doesn't need to hear about your unnecessary concern for my welfare."

Yixing lets it go, and Han tries not to be too curious. "That reminds me," Yixing says, "we haven't had a chance for proper introductions. Your name is Han, was it?"

It's not every day people address Han so casually, and it's strange, but he doesn't mind. He's never been one to stand on ceremony. "Yes. It's nice to meet you." Minseok's eyeing him, and Han guesses that he's wondering if Han is going to explain who he is. Yixing seems trustworthy enough, but Han is still wary. Without knowing who tried to kill him or why they did it, he can't know how much danger he's in or who he can trust. Minseok knowing is enough for now.

"You too! It's a shame I meet so many people under similar circumstances, but such is the life of a healer."

There it is again, and Han wonders if he should ask the questions he's been avoiding about Yixing's ability to heal. He and Minseok both seem to believe that there's something magical about it, but surely there isn't. Advanced science may well seem like magic to the uneducated, but there's no true magic. Han knows that. But then he remembers the weapons his attackers used, not arrows or stones or anything else he's seen before. Yixing called them energy blast wounds, and Han's not aware of any weapon made by science that's capable of causing those.

Hesitantly, still not sure he really wants to, he asks, "If I may...how exactly do you heal?"

Yixing looks only very mildly surprised by the question. "As I said, I'm a witch." He says it casually, but with his eyes steady on Han like he's gauging his reaction. "I suppose you haven't encountered any witches before."

"There's no such thing as witches," Han replies automatically.

Yixing chuckles in response, but there's not much humor in it. "So many people believe." He shrugs. "Perhaps I should have told you I used a special medicine and let you continue believing that, but I prefer to be honest. And given what attacked you before, it may be time for you to come to terms with the existence of magic."

"What attacked me?"

"Did you see any arrows when you were attacked?" Yixing asks. "A stone or another small projectile wouldn't have left such large and bloody wounds, and an arrow likely wouldn't either unless you pulled it out. Did you?"

"I..." Han swallows hard, feeling nervous without being able to say exactly why. "I didn't, but it all happened so fast that maybe..."

"The worst of the wounds were gone by the time I saw you, but Minseok can recognize an energy blast attack as well as I can. Without a doubt, that's what you were attacked with."

"What _is_ an energy blast? Does it come from some kind of new weapon?" Han knows already that that's not what Yixing is going to say, but he can't help hoping. It would be easier if that was the truth.

Sure enough, Yixing shakes his head. "No weapon can form a focused energy blast like that. Only magic in the hands of a powerful wizard or mage can do it."

"A wizard?" Han echoes weakly. "A mage?"

"I hate to tell you, but not only is there magic in the world, there's a lot more than just a simple healing witch like me. There are all kinds of magic and all kinds of people who use it, some of them very dangerous."

Han shakes his head. It's too much to take in on top of being injured and having his men killed, that so much of what he knows about the world is wrong. "How is that possible? I've read extensively and there are no references in all our historical literature to magic. There's no mention of it outside of children's stories."

"I'm not much of a reader myself," Yixing says. "Others might better be able to explain it to you."

He looks at Minseok, who seems startled. "I, um...I don't know either. All I know is that the humans of this kingdom haven't believed in magic for a good long time, perhaps long enough that they never wrote about it."

Han nods, but then he realizes something about Minseok's words. "They? The humans? Aren't you human?"

Minseok's face scrunches up into an adorable grimace. "I didn't think it was important to mention it before, but no, I'm not."

"Are you a witch too?"

Minseok shakes his head. "I'm an elf."

"An elf..." Han repeats, eyeing Minseok skeptically. He's seen elves in storybooks too, with delicate features and pointed ears. He realizes suddenly that the tips of Minseok's ears are hidden by his hair, but surely he must have seen them at some point by now.

"You're looking for the ears, aren't you?" Minseok says dryly. He lifts his hair so Han can see his ordinary rounded ears. 

"So that's not real either?" If witches can be young men like Yixing instead of old women, Han shouldn't be surprised that elves aren't what the stories say. 

"We had them once," Minseok explains, "but we lost them generations ago. What's the use of pointy ears, really? And besides, it's a lot easier to blend in if we look human."

"Then there are no differences?"

"There are. You'll see them if we spend enough time together. Just nothing so obvious as pointed ears." Minseok gives him a small smile. "But as you can see, there's a lot more in this world than you realize."

That's quite the understatement. Han's still not entirely convinced that Minseok and Yixing aren't deluded, since they look as human as him, but he remembers getting hit with those supposed energy blasts, the speed and the pain they caused, and the pulsating warmth of Yixing's hands and the way he's feeling only a fraction of the pain he did before Yixing touched him. Whether it's magic or something else, there's clearly something beyond his understanding at play here.

He's trying to formulate his next question when Yixing jumps in, overly enthusiastic, "Why don't we have some dinner and relax? It's been a while since I had company, and a good bit longer since I saw Minseok. I'd like to catch up."

They eat a small but filling meal, a soup full of plants Han doesn't recognize. Yixing chatters easily, not seeming to mind that Minseok's answers to his questions are short and Han doesn't say much. He tells stories about his patients and his life and at first Han listens curiously, but he's starting to feel tired again, losing focus on Yixing's words.

He doesn't realize how much he's spaced out until Yixing puts a hand on his shoulder and he jumps. "Would you like to get some rest?"

Han yawns, answer enough. "I slept earlier. I shouldn't be so tired."

"Even though I healed you, your body isn't fully recovered. It's not surprising that you need to sleep more than usual. Don't fight it. You'll feel much better for it tomorrow."

With only a token protest, Han settles onto Yixing's bed to sleep. "I'm going to go gather some herbs," Yixing says, "but..." He looks at Minseok, who nods.

"I'll be here," he tells Han, "so you don't need to worry."

Yixing leaves, and Minseok sits on the chair by the bed, facing the door. "Is he really going to gather herbs at night?" Han asks.

"It's a witch thing," Minseok explains. "I don't question it. He doesn't sleep much anyway. You, however, should."

Han obediently closes his eyes, but in the dark and quiet, the thoughts he's been pushing aside all day start to return. He still can't wrap his head around the fact that his men are dead, gone just like that. He didn't see them, but he heard their cries during the attack, and he can't see any reason for Minseok to lie to him about what he saw. In all likelihood, his guard is dead and only he survived. 

That's the purpose of a guard, to die for their prince, but he never thought it would truly happen. He led a sheltered life until now, safe in the castle and on his journey to the neighboring kingdom and all through the months he stayed there. His parents, the king and queen, and all of his brothers are well-loved. Why would someone suddenly want to kill him? It's easier to believe in the existence of magic than to accept that someone wants him dead badly enough to attack with such ruthless force.

And if they did want so badly to kill him, why is he still alive while Hakyeon and the others are dead? It doesn't seem right that he should live when he was the reason they were attacked, and the guilt weighs far heavier on his shoulders than anything he's ever felt before. He knows his father has sent people to fight in wars before, and not all of them came back. Is this what it's like to rule? He's glad that, as the sixth son, that's not likely to ever be his fate. This is already too much.

He opens his eyes, wanting to escape his thoughts, and sighs as he rolls over onto his side. Minseok turns to look at him. "Can't sleep?"

Han bites his lip and looks away. He's hesitant to share his feelings, but he doesn't think Minseok will judge him. "I can't stop thinking about my men."

A few moments pass before Minseok asks gently, "Were you close to them?"

"I was." They weren't friends exactly, not when he's a prince and their role was to serve him, but he knew them well enough for their loss to feel personal.

"I'm sorry."

Minseok doesn't say anything more, and in the ensuing silence, Han blurts out, "I've never known anyone who died. That is, not someone close to my age, someone I knew well. I don't...I don't know. I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry," Minseok says again. "That must be difficult." Han feels a little resentful that Minseok doesn't have any better comfort to offer him, but that's not fair. Minseok has already done so much for him, saving his life and bringing him here to be healed. Han is a grown man, not a child to be coddled. He can't expect a near stranger to fix a problem that can't truly be fixed in the first place for him.

"Why did you save me?" he asks instead. "Why would you risk your life for a stranger?" He looks up, wanting to see Minseok's reaction, but nothing registers on his face.

"I couldn't stand by and do nothing. I would hope that if I was in danger, someone would do the same for me." He flashes Han a small smile. "I wish I could have done more, but I hope you don't regret that I saved you."

"I...no, of course not," Han says quickly. Despite the guilt, he doesn't want to be dead.

"For what it's worth, I think your men were prepared to die for you if it came to that. I don't know you well yet, but it seems to me that you're a good person, if you care so much about the people who serve you. They probably knew that, and thought that you're the kind of prince they'd _want_ to protect, not only because it was their duty."

It's cold comfort, but Han appreciates it for what it is, Minseok doing what he can to assuage his guilt. It only goes so far, but it's something.

"Try to get some sleep," Minseok says. "You'll feel better in the morning."

Han isn't too sure of that, but it won't help matters for him to be exhausted. He closes his eyes again, and although it takes a while, he does finally fall asleep.

***

Han feels physically much better in the morning, and while his guilt and sadness haven't faded, they're easier to deal with in the light of day (such as it is this deep in the forest). He rolls out of bed and finds Yixing and Minseok sitting in front of the hut, talking. Whatever they're discussing, they seem serious, and they stop when Han opens the door.

"Good morning," Yixing says. "How are you feeling?"

"Good, thank you," Han tells him. The pain has faded to the point where he can almost ignore it, except for the occasional twinge in the places where the energy blasts (if that's what they really were) hit him.

Yixing smiles like he's personally happy about that even though he just met Han yesterday. "I'd like to check you over later just to be sure that you're okay, if you don't mind, but if I don't need to heal you anymore, I'll see about making a charm or two for you to take with you."

"A charm?" Han asks. He vaguely remembers Minseok mentioning a healing charm yesterday, but he's never heard of such a thing. Then again, he'd never heard of healing witches until yesterday either.

Yixing nods. "It's a token containing some special ingredients that I imbue with my healing magic so that anyone can use it to heal injuries. That's what Minseok used to heal you when he first found you."

"I felt that bad after being healed?" Han asks. What kind of terrible condition must he have been in before, in that case?

Yixing laughs, but Minseok answers seriously, "You came very close to death. If I hadn't had the charm, you wouldn't have survived long enough to make it here."

"I see..." It's hard to believe that some sort of token could bring him back from the brink of death, but there's no reason for Minseok to lie to him about that. It's just one more for the list of things Han never heard about before and is struggling to accept the existence of.

"While you were sleeping, we were talking about where to go now that you're feeling better," Minseok says.

Han appreciates the change of subject, but the thought of what comes next is a scary one. He wants to go home, where he'll be safe, but first he has to get there. On horseback, he could have made it back to the castle in a little over a week. His horse is probably long gone by now, so if he can't find another, he's looking at three weeks of travel. If the people who attacked his party before are still looking for him and he needs to avoid the main paths, it could be even longer.

Han's never traveled for so long on foot, and having to do it alone and potentially in danger through unfamiliar lands is asking a lot. He'll do it—he has no other choice except to sit and wait for someone to come and either rescue or kill him—but it's not going to be easy.

The others are looking at him expectantly. "I need to get home," he says. "To the capital. But I don't know how to get there from here."

"And you don't know who might be looking for you," Yixing adds.

"No." Han doesn't want to look weak, so he screws up his courage and pastes a grim smile on his face. "But I'll manage. I have to get home somehow, right?"

Judging from the glance that passes between Yixing and Minseok, they've talked about this already. Minseok turns to Han and says, "If you prefer to go by yourself, of course I won't stop you, but if you want company, I could go with you."

"You'd do that?" Han asks. Minseok has already gone out of his way to help him, putting himself in danger and spending time coming out here to see Yixing.

"Aren't you used to people helping you?" Minseok asks, a little dryly. He doesn't elaborate, so it takes Han a second to realize he's obliquely referring to Han being a prince, avoiding saying it in front of Yixing.

"Yes, but..." Minseok isn't a guard or a servant. He doesn't have much reason to be loyal to a prince of the kingdom that doesn't believe his kind exists, does he?

Minseok shrugs, a little smile on his face. "I've been traveling on my own for a while now. I wouldn't mind the company. And you know, I've never actually been to the capital before. This is as good a time as any."

Han feels a rush of gratitude that he'd probably embarrass himself trying to express, so he restrains himself to, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Minseok says easily. 

"Why don't you spend another night here so I can make your charms and you can head off tomorrow morning?" Yixing suggests.

A part of Han wants to ask if he can just stay here indefinitely and not have to face whatever may be waiting for him on the road, but that's not an option. His family and his friends and his people are expecting their youngest prince to return soon, bringing them good news about his future wedding and the stability to their truce with Yidan that that marriage will bring. He has a duty to go back, not to cower before whoever wants him dead.

"All right," he says, and then again for good measure, "Thank you."

 

The day passes too quickly for Han. Yixing puts together two charms for them, while Minseok and Han venture out into the woods to gather some food for their journey. Han is nervous, jumping at every snapping twig or skittering animal, but Minseok seems remarkably calm. "Do you think those...men? If that's what they were. Do you think they're looking for me?" Han asks tentatively.

"I don't know." Minseok doesn't look at him, glancing around as he talks, in search of edible plants. Han's not sure without seeing his expression, but he thinks something seems off about Minseok's tone.

"Did you see...that is, were they..." He pauses, collecting his thoughts. He still has so many questions about what happened. "Do you think they know I'm alive?"

"I don't think they saw me take you, but they would have noticed that your body wasn't there, in the end. Whether they would look for you after that, I can't say. It all depends on what their purpose was in attacking you."

Han sighs heavily, frustrated. There's too much he doesn't know, and under these circumstances, what he doesn't know could very well kill him. "So we just have to assume that they might be looking?"

"That's probably the safest option, yes," Minseok says, sounding awfully casual about the possibility of people wielding dangerous magic hunting them down.

"You're really willing to travel with me knowing that people may be trying to kill me? Why would you risk your life like that?"

Minseok stops walking just in front of Han but doesn't turn around. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know. I usually prefer to keep to myself and not try to be anyone's rescuer. But I couldn't stand by before and let you die, and now that I've saved you, I guess I feel responsible. I want to see it through." Han opens his mouth to protest that he doesn't need to, but Minseok continues, "And you know, I like you. I've never cared about royalty, so it doesn't matter so much to me that you're a prince, but having met you, I can see that you seem like a good guy. I don't want to leave you to travel alone and maybe die."

It's touching and unexpected and it makes Han feel relieved in spite of everything. "Thank you," he says again.

"You don't have to keep thanking me," Minseok says gruffly. "It's awkward. Besides, it's not all me. Yixing is a total bleeding heart and he'd never forgive me if I let you die."

Han laughs, but he doesn't think it's really a joke. He's not good with these kinds of emotional scenes, so he's glad to see that Minseok doesn't seem to be either. "I'm very lucky, then, that you're both so kind."

Minseok doesn't answer. Instead, he says, "Oh, look!" and hurries off to the side to kneel by a plant Han doesn't recognize. "This will be a good one to take with us." He pulls out the extra bag Yixing gave them and starts cutting off the hard little fruits growing on the plant. It doesn't look like anything Han's eaten before, or anything he would eat if the varied options he's used to having at the castle were available to him, but he's in no position to be picky. He'll have to make do with whatever Minseok can offer him and be grateful for it.

They spend a few hours gathering food for themselves and also for Yixing. Minseok catches a hare with a rope trap, moving with a speed and agility Han thinks shouldn't be possible. Seeing that, Han can almost believe that he isn't human, but maybe he's just thinking like a spoiled city dweller, not knowing what life on the road and having to hunt for your food will do to a person. It's easier to think that Minseok's only in excellent shape.

Han is generally in good shape himself, but he's still recovering from almost dying, so he tires quickly. He's relieved when Minseok suggests that they head back. 

"This will keep us for a while, and we can forage for more when we need it," Minseok says as they walk back toward Yixing's hut. (Han has no idea where that is, but Minseok is moving purposefully like he knows exactly where he's going.) "I think given that we don't know who may be looking for you, it's safest if we avoid stopping in any inns or taverns. Do you think you can handle roughing it?"

"Of course!" Han's been out in the wild on hunting trips with his brothers. He's not as soft as all that.

Minseok laughs at his indignation. "You'll have to forgive me if I make assumptions. You're the first prince I've ever met. I have no idea what your life is like."

"And you're the first elf I've ever met," Han retorts, making Minseok laugh again.

"I guess we both have a lot to learn about each other. Luckily, we'll have plenty of time alone together while we're traveling." 

Minseok is nearly a stranger, and Han's not usually very good with strangers, but somehow he doesn't mind the thought of spending time in Minseok's company. There's something about him that Han likes, something that makes him feel comfortable and like he wants to be friends. It's not every day Han gets to make a new friend, just a friend with no political connections or ulterior motives; he hopes Minseok wants to be his friend too.

The day passes quickly, maybe too quickly considering what's ahead. Han doesn't think he'd like to live out here in the woods with no family or neighbors like Yixing, but it's peaceful for a short time. It may be an illusion, but he feels safe here, and he won't feel that way on the road, even with Minseok there with him. He wouldn't mind a little more time to prepare himself for that.

In the evening, Han tries to give Yixing back his bed, but he laughs and waves off the offer. "I like to sleep outside. The bed is just for visitors."

Minseok also refuses. "I'm used to sleeping on the ground. You should enjoy the comfort while you can."

Han takes them at their word. He realizes as he gets into bed how tired he is, and he's asleep before his head hits the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See the first chapter for notes/warnings)

Minseok and Han set off first thing in the morning with good wishes from Yixing and promises to take care of themselves and not come back for healing any time soon. Han is carrying a pack Yixing gave him, including a borrowed blanket and bedroll, a clean shirt, and some other useful supplies to replace what he lost, along with one of Yixing's healing charms. It's too generous considering that Yixing doesn't even know he's a prince, but Yixing dismissed Han's token refusal instantly. That just seems to be the way he is.

They walk in companionable silence for a while, setting a steady but not too quick pace. Han is feeling better still today, and it's not exactly easy walking through the dense forest surrounding Yixing's hut with his pack, but it's infinitely easier than it was on the way in. That's a relief, to see that he'll probably have no lasting effects of his injuries, even if there's a guilt that comes with it too.

In the quiet, Han finds himself wondering what it'll be like traveling with Minseok. Will he move tirelessly for hours on end or will he want to take it easy, since he's in no particular hurry to get to the capital? Will he be quiet like this all the time or will he chat with Han the way he did with Yixing? They've talked some before, but Minseok doesn't seem to mind silence. Han doesn't mind it in small amounts either, but he gets bored easily.

"Do you travel all the time?" he asks Minseok once he's tired of listening to the sounds of their footsteps. "Or do you have a home somewhere that you'll go back to after this?"

Minseok shakes his head. "I travel around this part of the kingdom. I have my favorite places, but I don't stay in any one place for long."

"All by yourself?" Han asks. That sounds awfully lonely to him, but maybe Minseok is different.

"That's right!" Minseok chirps a little too brightly. Then, in a more normal tone, "You get used to it. I like the peace and quiet, and I do have friends around that I can visit if I want company."

"Hm." Han still doesn't see the appeal, but for all he knows, Minseok would hate living in the castle like him. Besides, he does think travel can be interesting, just not all alone. "Is that normal for..." He hasn't asked about Minseok being an elf since he found out, in part because he's still not too sure he believes it, but he is curious. Minseok looks entirely human to him, but if he really is an elf, there must be something that differentiates him from humans like Han.

"For my kind?" Minseok finishes for him. "It's not unusual. Legend has it that elves used to build large settlements to rival your human cities, but that was a long time ago, if it's even true. Maybe it's not in our blood to settle down. Some travel in groups or have a permanent home and travel part of the year or just move from city to city, but there are also solitary travelers like me, always on the road."

"You don't ever just want to live somewhere and stay there? Get yourself a nice, comfortable home?"

Minseok shrugs. "I tried that in the past and it wasn't so bad. Maybe I will again someday, but for now, I'm happy like this." Before Han can ask another question, he adds, "And you should be glad that I am, otherwise I never would have happened on you being attacked and rescued you."

"That's true," Han concedes. "And I'm grateful that you're willing to travel with me too."

"It's nothing," Minseok assures him. "It is nice to have company sometimes, and to have a destination for a change."

"Even if it'll take us a while to get there. Do you have any idea how long a trip it'll be the way you're taking us?"

"I could do it in three weeks, but I expect you're less used to walking long distances, so probably four, assuming the weather is on our side," Minseok says casually. For him, four weeks on the road is nothing. "I have a friend who might be able to lend us some horses, which would shorten the trip, but he's out of our way. We can decide when we get closer if it's worth the detour."

"Is your friend an elf too?"

Minseok laughs a little at the question. Han doesn't see anything funny about it, but Minseok explains, "I'm not sure how much I should tell you. You seemed a little overwhelmed just learning about me and Yixing."

Han wishes he could deny it, but it's the truth. After a lifetime thinking of magic as no more than a fiction dreamed up for the entertainment of children, just hearing about witches and elves and wizards and mages is already a lot. Still, he's curious, and if he's going to be meeting more magical people (or people who believe they're magical), he should know what he's getting into. "I can handle it."

"All right." Minseok sounds amused at his expense. Han's used to that from his older brothers, but it's unusual from anyone else. Minseok doesn't treat him at all like a prince, even knowing he is one. "This friend is a giant."

"A giant?" Han repeats. That sounds simple enough, but also potentially dangerous.

"Surely your story books can't have gotten that too wrong," Minseok says. "Giants look just like humans, only bigger. They're a lot stronger too, even after you take into account their size, but you can't tell that by looking at them."

"How did you make friends with a giant?" Han asks.

"Same way you make friends with anyone," Minseok says dryly. "Chanyeol is big, but not to the point where his head is up in the clouds. Just big enough to be annoying."

"Then I guess my books didn't quite manage giants either," Han admits. He has to laugh in spite of himself. "I wonder if they got anything right."

"We'll have plenty of time to discuss it." Minseok turns to look at Han, studying him with undisguised curiosity. "So you believe that Yixing is a witch and I'm an elf? I couldn't tell if you did or if you were just humoring us."

"I-I, um..." Han's not the best liar, and he flashes Minseok a sheepish grimace, knowing that any denial would be unconvincing now. "I don't really know. It does seem like Yixing did _something_ to help me, but I don't know for sure that it was magic. And you...I don't see any reason why you'd lie to me about being an elf, but looking at you, it's hard to believe. You look human as far as I can tell."

Minseok smiles, not seeming to take offense. "That just means you haven't been looking carefully enough."

"Really?" Han asks skeptically.

"We do have a somewhat distinctive appearance, but you can't see that unless you meet more elves. But there are other things too." He considers for a moment and then stops walking, so Han does too. "Here, watch." Minseok puts down his pack and bends his knees a few times, bouncing like he's loosening up for some athletic feat. Then, without warning, he jumps higher than Han's head, landing with remarkable lightness.

Han stares, his jaw dropping. "How did you do that?" he asks incredulously.

Minseok shrugs. "How do you walk? It's just something that I can do, as an elf. Our joints are springier than yours, if you can call it that. Considering that humans don't believe we exist, there haven't been many comparisons done, but that's what I've been told."

"I definitely can't do that." Han is strong, with legs that can lift him high into the air if he tries, but nowhere near as high as Minseok went. That's inhuman, which is really the whole point of this demonstration.

"Those are the main physical differences I'm aware of," Minseok says. "We're more agile than humans, and more flexible, and usually faster. It may not show much on the outside, but we're different on the inside."

"What about witches?" Han asks. "And giants?" Now that he's more convinced (even if a part of him is still protesting, because how could he not know about magic when it's so easy to see?), his curiosity is aroused. There's so much for him to learn about, it seems.

Minseok smiles at his eagerness, hefting his pack onto his shoulders and starting to walk again. "Witches and wizards and mages are all essentially human, physically. The only difference is their ability to use magic, though some do use magic to change themselves."

"Then what's the difference? Why is Yixing a witch instead of a wizard?"

"It's mainly in the type of magic they have an affinity for. Healing is associated with witches, so Yixing is a witch. Mages primarily channel various dark magics. Wizards are more of a middle ground, so you might meet wizards as nice as Yixing or wizards who are very dangerous." He hesitates after he says that, glancing back at Han, who can't help thinking about energy blasts and who could have attacked him and his men with them.

"Does it make a difference if it was mages or wizards who attacked me?" Han asks. "In terms of what we can do against them, that is."

"Not really," Minseok says. "They might attack in different ways, but they're equally dangerous, and something like energy blasts could come from either. Regardless of which it was, we don't want to cross paths with them again."

Han nods and tries not to think about that, or about what happened the last time he crossed paths with them. Yixing's healing is useful and Minseok's physical differences are impressive, but if magic also includes those painful, fast-moving and deadly energy blasts and the people who used them to kill his guards, he doesn't want anything to do with it. The magic-less world he's used to has its own dangers, but nothing quite as terrifying as that.

"Don't worry," Minseok says gently. "I don't think they're looking for you, and if they are, we'll see that they don't find you."

It's cowardly, probably—Han should want to avenge his men, or at least to insure that the danger doesn't follow him back to the castle—but he's not confident that this is a danger he could defeat. Better to hope that the wizards or mages or whoever they were are long gone and won't be coming back.

"Come on," Minseok says, distracting him from his thoughts. "Let's pick up the pace a little. We only have so many hours of daylight."

He starts walking faster, and Han scurries to catch up to him. With his heart pumping faster and his feet beating a steady rhythm on the forest floor, it's easier to let his worries and his fear and his grief fade into the background. Worrying or being afraid or sad won't change anything. Right now, he just needs to focus on doing what he can, and that's putting one foot in front of the other until he makes it safely home.

 

Han thinks himself in good shape, but he's worn out by the time the sun starts to set and Minseok suggests that they find a place to spend the night. Traveling long days on horseback was tiring, but doing the same on foot with a pack (not so heavy but not insignificant either) on his back is entirely different. He can't imagine doing this every day for weeks, but hopefully he'll get used to it quickly.

The trees are sparser here than they were around Yixing's hut, but it's getting dark quickly. Han has to walk more carefully to keep from tripping over rocks and tree roots. Minseok is still moving confidently and Han wonders if has better eyesight or if he's just used to walking in this kind of terrain at all hours of the day or night.

To Han's relief, Minseok soon stops at a small clear patch next to a cluster of trees. "This looks like as good a place as any. Ready to stop?"

"Yes!" Han didn't mean to sound quite so enthusiastic about it, and he's embarrassed when Minseok laughs. "I didn't—it's just—it's getting dark."

"It's all right," Minseok says, laughter dying out. "I know that must have been a lot more walking than you're used to."

"It was," Han grudgingly admits. 

"You can tell me, you know, if you want to stop and rest during the day." Minseok sets down his (heavier, Han suspects) pack and stretches his arms out, arching his back. "To tell you the truth, this was a lot of walking even for me. There's no need to go so far when I'm just wandering."

Minseok plops down onto the ground, for a moment looking like a small child, and Han has to smile. Minseok has been taking care of him the last few days, and that plus his knowledge of the magical world that Han knows nothing about has made him seem a lot more grown up, but when he's less serious, he looks very young. "How old are you?" Han asks curiously.

Minseok gives him a strange look at the abrupt change of subject but doesn't hesitate to answer. "I'm twenty this year."

"Twenty? That's the same age as me." Despite his apparent maturity, based on his appearance, Han expected Minseok to be younger than him.

"Yeah?" Minseok smiles. "I guess you've got a baby face too."

"Not as much as you," Han shoots back, then follows it up with a sheepish grimace. He's so used to being teased about his face by his brothers that it's a reflex to tease back.

Thankfully, Minseok doesn't seem to mind. "We could argue that, but I don't care that much."

"Is it normal for elves to look like you?" Han asks.

Minseok busies himself gathering twigs from the forest floor. "You mean young? I don't think so. We do tend to have these round faces, which people see as young, but even other elves say I don't look my age."

"Do elves age at the same rate as people?"

"By people you mean humans?" Minseok asks, and Han hopes he hasn't made a faux pas. "We tend to live longer, and our bodies hold up to old age better if we make it there, but we reach adulthood at the same pace. Twenty for me is essentially the same as twenty for you."

It's strange to think about, but interesting. Han was never the most dedicated student, but he's always been interested in learning about the world around him. Now that his initial shock at hearing that magic and magical beings are real has passed, he's curious to learn about everything he's missed out on until now. "Do you interact with a lot of humans or do magical people mostly stick with other magical people?"

Minseok shrugs before starting to build a pile with the sticks he gathered. "Depends on the person. Some magical people hardly interact with anyone at all. Some avoid humans at all costs. Others live in human communities, blending in so nobody knows what they are. I can't say I have any human friends, but there are villages I stop in regularly and I get along fine with the humans there."

"You really aren't lonely?" Han asks. He doesn't mean to belabor the point, but he just can't imagine living like Minseok, without family or friends or anyone at all around him.

Minseok doesn't look at Han, focused on doing what Han assumes is preparing to build a fire. He's finished piling up the sticks, and he places some dry brush on top. "I'm fine, I assure you. You don't have to worry about me." There's a little smile on his face, and Han, distracted by that, doesn't see what he does with it, but suddenly smoke starts rising from the tinder. Minseok bends down to carefully blow on it, encouraging the fire to catch. Soon, a flame flickers to life, and Minseok sits back up, looking satisfied.

"You make it look so easy," Han says. He knows how to build a fire, but it usually involves a lot more struggle for him.

"I have a lot of practice," Minseok points out. He looks at the fire until it seems to be burning steadily and then says, "I'm going to gather some more wood. Can you keep an eye on this?"

The thought of being left alone in the woods, now almost completely dark, makes Han nervous. It must be obvious on his face because Minseok adds, "I won't go far. It didn't rain that much the other day, so it shouldn't be too hard to find dry wood."

The other day when Han was attacked. It seems like weeks ago already, but the fear is still fresh. Still, the night will be more comfortable and less scary with a fire, so he can deal with Minseok leaving him for a little while. "It's fine," he says. "I'll be here."

The darkness swallows Minseok up almost immediately when he moves away from the fire, and Han fidgets anxiously as he waits for Minseok to come back. He has his sword and a few days ago, he would have felt confident that he could take on any danger that might come for him. Now, he knows better. 

Minseok's only gone ten, maybe fifteen minutes, but it seems interminable. Han doesn't know how Minseok lives like this, spending night after night alone in the woods with only a fire to keep him company. Minseok has probably never had dark wizards try to kill him, but there are other dangers in the woods, bandits or wild animals. One little elf with minimal weaponry would seem an easy target for both.

One not-much-bigger human with little knowledge of the normal sounds of the forest at night is an even easier target, so Han is very glad when Minseok returns, even if he jumps embarrassingly when Minseok calls out a greeting. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Minseok says, but he sounds amused. He's carrying an armful of firewood, so hopefully he won't have to go get more during the night.

"You didn't—" Han starts to protest, but there's no way a denial would be convincing, so he gives up. "It's just so quiet here at night."

"Is it?" Minseok asks. It sounds like a genuine question, not teasing. "I hear a lot of things, but I don't know how it sounds to humans."

Han stops and listens for a moment. He can hear rustling sounds, maybe animals or maybe just leaves, and a hooting sound that's probably an owl. To tell the truth, the castle at night is probably quieter, once the servants go to bed and Han is alone except for the guards outside his door. The difference is that in the castle, he's not afraid of the silence. Here, he has no idea what's lurking in it.

Minseok is still waiting for his answer, so Han says, "I can hear some things, but not so clearly. I don't know what they are. Is your hearing better than mine?"

"It might be, or I might just be more used to it." Minseok stops and briefly listens like Han did before. "But I don't hear anything dangerous, so you can relax. We'll still be careful, of course, but I don't think we're in danger tonight."

"Good." Although he hasn't been given much reason to yet, Han trusts Minseok's instincts. He has no faith in his own, so he'll have to trust that Minseok can keep him safe.

Minseok sets his pile of wood down a safe distance from the fire and then comes to join Han closer to it. "It's starting to get cold at night," he comments. "I hope it won't get too much worse before we get you home."

"What do you do in the winter?" Han asks. He hadn't thought about it until now, just imagining Minseok traveling in the same kind of weather they're having at the moment.

"Carry more blankets," is Minseok's casual response, but then he laughs. "For the worst of it, I usually find a place to stay. I get cold easily, and I can put up with it for a while, but at some point, I always get sick of it and decide to stop off somewhere. I have a friend who's a dwarf with a cozy little house and he's started expecting me to show up a few weeks into winter."

"A dwarf," Han repeats, remembering a picture of a hairy, stunted man.

"He's probably not what you're imagining either, but then, he's not your typical dwarf. Way more cheerful than most." Minseok smiles as he holds his hands up to the fire. "That's magical being humor, by the way. Dwarves need a lot of sleep, which makes them not the most sociable of creatures, so it's fun to tease them about being grumpy. Of course, that only makes them grumpier..."

"And what do people tease elves about?"

Minseok gives him an 'I see what you're doing' look, still smiling. "Don't think I'm going to give you any ammunition." Then he laughs again. "There's nothing in particular that I know of, but you might get a different answer from someone who's not an elf, or who makes it more fun for people to tease him."

They keep chatting as they get some food together for dinner, mostly Han asking questions and Minseok answering. Some of his questions are probably stupid, because there's so much he doesn't know, but Minseok rarely laughs at him, and when he does, there's nothing cruel about it. Han was in no condition to make conversation when they first met, and Yixing did the majority of the talking when they were with him, but now that it's just the two of them, Han finds that Minseok is interesting and easy to talk to. He thinks he'll like traveling together.

They lay out their bedrolls and blankets soon after they finish eating. "I think it's best if someone keeps watch, all things considered," Minseok says. "Why don't you sleep first and I'll wake you up later?"

"Are you sure?" Han asks, mostly to be polite. He's very ready to get some sleep.

"I'll be fine," Minseok assures him. "Sleep."

Lying on a thin bedroll on the cold, hard ground is a long way from the comfortable beds Han is used to, and even with Minseok watching over him, he's worried about what might happen to him during the night. Still, it's been a long day and he's tired enough from all that walking that once he closes his eyes, in almost no time at all, he's sound asleep.

***

"Is it morning already?" Han whines when a hand on his shoulder shakes him awake after not enough hours of sleep.

He hears a laugh, and when he manages to force his eyes open, he sees Minseok smiling at him, illuminated by the flickering light of the fire. "Sorry, not morning yet. I do need to get some sleep if I'm going to be any use tomorrow. Can you stay awake to keep watch?"

Han rubs his eyes and reluctantly sits up. His muscles protest, but they're only sore from walking, not anything like before. "I'll be fine." He may be a prince, but Minseok is doing him a big favor by accompanying him. It's only fair for Han to pull his weight.

"Good. We've still got enough firewood, so just make sure you don't let the fire burn out." Minseok gestures at the pile of wood he gathered, which has dwindled significantly while Han slept.

"Okay. Sleep well."

"I will." Minseok must be tired by now, and he lies down quickly, pulling his blanket around him. "Wake me when the sun comes up. We might as well get an early start." With that, he rolls over, away from Han, and in no time at all, his breathing evens out.

The quiet of the forest seems even more intense at this time of night. Han picks up his blanket and wraps it around his shoulders, as much for comfort as against the chill. This isn't a situation he ever thought he'd see himself in, alone with a near stranger who may or may not be able to protect him, keeping watch in the middle of the night. It's a long way from the castle, and it'll be a long time before he's back there.

Still, there's no point in dwelling on that. As the youngest prince, Han's always been a little spoiled, but his parents insisted that all their sons be raised with the skills a king needs. Kings have to be ready to face the unexpected and conquer their fears, and even if Han's not ever going to be king, he should be ready to do that. Now's the time for him to grow up. With that in mind, he squares his shoulders, pulls the blanket tighter around him, and looks out into the darkened forest, alert and as ready as he can be.

 

Not so much as a scurrying animal bothers Han that night, but he's still glad when the rising sun starts to filter through the trees. Minseok's sleeping so peacefully that he feels bad waking him, but Han takes him at his word and gently shakes him awake.

The night may have been peaceful, but Minseok's reaction is not. He jerks away, blanket falling to the ground as he jumps to his feet, pulling a knife Han didn't know he had. It all happens so fast Han barely has time to react, like he's not even fully awake before he moves. Once he is, he grimaces and immediately lowers the knife. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't—I'm not used to people waking me up. I should have warned you. Sorry."

"It's okay," Han says automatically, but he can't stop staring. Minseok rescued him the other day, of course, and he must be able to defend himself to travel alone, but Han didn't really believe he was a fighter until now. Seeing how quickly he pulled that knife and how he brandished it like he knows how to use it, Han can't doubt that not only does he know how to fight, but he's had reason to do it before.

"I'm sorry," Minseok repeats one more time as the knife disappears into the folds of his clothes again. "What am I doing, pulling a knife on a prince?"

Han shakes his head. "I'll be more careful. I wasn't thinking."

"Not your fault," Minseok assures him. "I promise you I don't do this normally."

"Only if someone attacks you?"

Minseok gives him a measuring look, aware that Han's fishing for information. "Yes," he says. "It's not something that happens often, but it pays to not let your guard down." Turning sheepish, he adds, "Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry, right?" He sits back down on the ground, picking up his discarded blanket. "It won't happen again."

"I'll try to wake you up by saying your name next time, just in case." Han's relaxing again too after being startled by Minseok's reaction. It makes him curious, wondering if Minseok has a reason to be paranoid, but that seems like a potentially dangerous question. Han doesn't want to pry when he has no idea what Minseok's past holds, at least not until they get to know each other better.

Minseok is quiet as they eat a quick breakfast, and even though Han wants to talk, he decides it's better to let him wake up fully before he starts chattering. There'll be plenty of time to talk as they walk.

 

Han's legs aren't too happy when they start off walking, but to his relief, the stiffness fades and soon walking becomes, if not fun, then at least not uncomfortable. "You're holding up better than I expected," Minseok comments maybe an hour in. 

"You think I'm so pampered I can't even walk?" Han asks, mostly joking.

"I think walking long distances is a lot harder than traveling on horseback, that's all." Minseok's tone is casual; he clearly knows Han isn't mad. "Most city dwellers likely couldn't handle it, let alone princes."

"I'm full of surprises," Han says with a grin.

Minseok chuckles tolerantly. "I bet you are." He walks a few more steps before continuing, "So what's it like, being a prince?"

"What do you mean, what's it like?" It's an awfully general question, and besides, it's hard for Han to say when he's never experienced anything else. 

"I don't know. Do you live in a huge castle with servants everywhere and eat banquets every night and have people carry you around when you go out into the city?"

Han has to laugh. "It sounds like you understand being a prince about as well as I understand magic."

"Am I that wrong?" Minseok asks, a little sheepish.

"Not completely," Han concedes. "I do live in a castle, and it's big, I guess. Bigger than any house, and bigger than the castle in Yidan, but they only have a king and a princess living in it and we have eight people."

"Eight?"

Han raises an eyebrow at Minseok's back. "Do you not know anything about the royal family? You live in this kingdom."

"It's not like I've ever met you," Minseok protests. 

"But you knew my name," Han points out, remembering.

Minseok shrugs without turning around to look at Han. "I remembered there's a Han and a Seonho and...Jeongsu, wasn't it, the second prince?"

"That's right," Han confirms. It makes him smile, both Minseok's attempts to redeem himself and the thought of his older brothers. Even if they still fight like kids sometimes, he loves them all and he's looking forward to seeing them again.

"And I remember you're all boys," Minseok adds. "I just didn't think there were that many of you."

"There are."

"You're the youngest, right?" Minseok asks. "Does that mean you're spoiled or ignored?"

Han laughs. "A little of both, plus getting picked on by my brothers. But even if I'll never be the king, my parents still wanted me to learn everything my brothers did."

"Hm..." is all Minseok says in response.

"Do you have any brothers?" Han asks.

"No," Minseok answers a little too quickly and forcefully. Han doesn't know what to make of that, but before he can decide whether he should follow up or let it go, Minseok asks, "And what's castle life like? Do people take care of you all the time?"

"We have servants, if that's what you mean. They cook and keep the castle clean and so on. But I don't just sit around making them fan me, if that's what you're imagining." Minseok only sounds curious, but Han still feels defensive, like he has to prove that he hasn't had everything handed to him on a silver platter his whole life.

Minseok laughs. "If you were that kind of prince, you wouldn't have made it through a day on the road, even on horseback. Relax, I'm not judging you for being born royalty. I just wonder about it, the same way you wonder about elves and other things you have no experience with."

"Our lives have been very different, haven't they?" Even ignoring the fact that Minseok's an elf, his lifestyle is completely different from Han's, and although Han's wary of asking about it, he suspects Minseok's childhood was also entirely unlike his.

"Probably," Minseok agrees, "but you're a prince; your life has probably been different from most people's." There's no judgment in his words, and he's right, really. 

"You know," Han admits, "this is actually the first time I've been away from the castle for anywhere near this long. My parents used to go visit towns around the kingdom or sometimes other kingdoms, but they usually took one of my brothers instead of me."

"Where were you going?" Minseok asks. "Or coming from? I'm not up to date on gossip enough to know."

"Is it gossip?" It makes sense that the people of the kingdom would talk about him, since his trip wasn't a secret, but it's strange to hear it called that. "I was on my way back from Yidan."

"Oh? What were you doing there? Or is it secret castle business?"

"Nothing like that," Han says with a laugh. "I went to meet the king and the princess and stay for a few months to get to know them and see if they like me."

"Why do they need to like you?" Minseok asks.

"So that I can marry the princess, if she'll have me." Han feels embarrassed saying it, even though it's a perfectly normal thing and he's plenty old enough to be getting married. "We have a truce with Yidan, you see," he explains. "My father worked hard to get King Jinyoung to agree to it, but it's always been a little precarious. We're hoping that if I marry Princess Jia, that'll make the situation more stable."

"That's good. But why you, the youngest prince?"

"That's probably why," Han ruefully admits. The king and queen, his parents, have never made him feel that he's expendable, but he's aware of his position. "But also she's close to my age, and my mother felt that we might get along."

"And did you?"

"I think so." The princess is beautiful, and outgoing enough to balance out Han's shyness with strangers. She seemed to take to Han, laughing with and occasionally at him and calling him cute. Han is less sure that her perpetually sour-faced father liked him, but he thinks he made a good impression on Princess Jia.

"That's good news for our kingdom. Are you engaged, then?"

"Not yet. I'm supposed to go home and give the king and the princess time to think it over, and then they'll send word once they decide if they want to go forward with the engagement."

"And if they don't? Not that they have any reason to reject you, of course," Minseok hastily adds, "but what if they say no?"

"I don't know." Before he left, Han's parents had made it clear to him that he should do everything he could to win over both the princess and the king, because it was important the engagement proceed as planned. "We'd probably suggest that she marry one of my brothers instead. This truce is important, so we'd have to figure something out."

"Sounds complicated," Minseok says. "I guess it's not all fun and games, being a prince. But marrying a princess doesn't sound like such a sacrifice. Did you like her?"

"I did." They got along well, considering Han's tendency to get awkwardly tongue-tied around women he's not related to. By the time he left, they were getting to be friends, and that's good enough for an arranged marriage. It also definitely doesn't hurt that she's beautiful.

"Then I hope she agrees," Minseok says cheerfully. "Maybe you'll arrive back at the castle to a good answer from her."

It's a nice thought, mostly. Han doesn't really want to leave his home and his family, but he wants to be useful and help his kingdom and make his parents proud. He'll get used to living in Yidan, he hopes, and it's not so far away that he won't still be able to see his parents and his brothers. If Minseok can live all alone, with nobody to help him, then Han should be able to handle living in another kingdom with a kind wife and servants to see that he's well taken care of. Besides, it won't happen right away. He'll have time still to make peace with being separated from his family.

 

The day passes more quickly than Han expects, and it feels almost routine already to settle down by a fire with Minseok. Han collects firewood this time, and Minseok goes out and kills a squirrel for their dinner. "You're good at hunting," Han comments, but Minseok demurs. 

"I live off plants and things a lot of the time, but it's nice to have meat when you're traveling a lot, and I thought you might like some."

Squirrel doesn't commonly feature in Han's diet, but once Minseok cleans it and cooks it over the fire, it smells as good as any roast he's eaten in the castle. (It's possible that he's just very hungry after a long day on the road.) They eat in companionable silence and then Minseok offers to take first watch again. 

"You don't mind?" Han asks. He doesn't want Minseok to feel obligated.

"Don't worry about it. I like some time to relax at the end of the day before I sleep."

Han doesn't know if it's the truth or if Minseok's just saying it to make him feel better, but he decides to take him at his word. "Okay. Wake me up when it's my turn. I promise I won't try to stab you." 

He's not sure it's okay to joke about that, but Minseok laughs easily. "Noted. Sleep well."

"You too," Han replies automatically. "I mean..."

Minseok laughs again, more enthusiastically. "I got it. Goodnight."

With Minseok looking out for him and the fire crackling nearby, Han falls asleep with a smile on his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See first chapter for notes/warnings.)

Traveling on foot while avoiding towns and other travelers is, to be perfectly honest, boring. Minseok and Han talk along the way, but there's only so much to say, especially when they're together all the time and can hardly ask each other about their day. They're sticking to the woods for now, but Minseok says they'll come to more open land soon, where they'll probably be able to make quicker progress. Even so, they have a long way to go.

Han gets used to it surprisingly quickly. The soreness in his legs and feet doesn't go away, but he stops noticing it. He gets accustomed to sleeping on the cold, hard ground too, and spending part (though usually less than half) of the night awake keeping watch by the light of the fire. It feels good, in a way, seeing that he's capable of this, pampered prince though he is. He couldn't do it without Minseok to lead the way and build a fire and find food and keep him company, but he's proud of himself all the same.

No one has attacked them, and neither Han nor Minseok have noticed any signs that they're being followed. Han's not ready to completely let his guard down, not after being blindsided before, but it seems that whoever attacked him and his men is either done with him or biding their time for now. He very much hopes it's the first, and he tries not to think about the possibility of it being the second more than he has to.

They've been traveling for a week and a half when Minseok says over dinner, "We'll need to decide soon if we want to make the detour to see Chanyeol for some horses."

"The giant?" Han asks, and Minseok nods. "How far out of our way is he?"

"It'll add around two day's walking to get there and another day on horseback on our way out."

"Are you sure we'll be able to get horses? You said he _might_ be able to lend us some."

"He probably will," Minseok says, "but once I went there and he'd lent every single horse he had to a neighboring farmer to carry goods to the nearest town. Since then, I never entirely count on him having a horse for me."

"He sounds very nice," Han says. Minseok smiles and nods his agreement. "Do you think it's worth it?"

"The risk is small, so I think it's worth it," Minseok says without having to think about it. "At worst, we'll be able to have a roof over our heads for a night or two and some good food. Chanyeol doesn't get too many visitors, so he's always excited to have someone to feed."

Han has gotten used to being on the road, but sleeping indoors and eating food that wasn't cooked over a campfire is very appealing, as is being able to finish their journey on horseback, cutting down on both the effort and the time required. Besides, he's curious to meet his first giant. He may never get another opportunity, so he may as well take advantage of it. "Let's do it, then."

"All right," Minseok agrees. "We'll turn toward him tomorrow."

***

It starts to rain maybe an hour before dawn, to Han's chagrin. They've been lucky with the weather so far, but he should have known it was too good to last. The rain is light enough to be bearable at first, but then it suddenly starts to pour. The trees do little to nothing to protect them and the fire goes out almost immediately. Minseok wakes up with a groan of protest, quickly sitting up. "I hate rain," he grumbles.

With the fire gone and the rain pouring down, Han can't see Minseok's face, and he's relying mostly on his other senses to tell where he is. "It couldn't have waited to do this until the night we'll get to sleep inside, could it?"

"That would be far too easy." Minseok sighs heavily. "I'd say we should look for shelter, but we're probably not going to find much around here. Are we at all close to sunrise?"

"Another hour or so, I think." The thought of sitting in this rain in the dark for an hour is distinctly unappealing, but Han's soaked to the bone already, so it doesn't seem like shelter would do him much good at this point. He's tempted to suggest they look for an inn or a farmhouse or whatever they can find, despite the risks, but even that would be impossible when they can't see a foot in front of their faces.

"We'll just have to wait it out. If we're lucky, it'll let up soon." Another loud sigh; Minseok really doesn't like rain. "It's so cold."

Han's cold too, but not enough to complain about it yet. Maybe Minseok doesn't tolerate cold well because he's smaller, or maybe it's because he just woke up, or maybe it's an elf thing. He did say before that he gets cold easily, whatever the reason. Without thinking about it, Han reaches out and finds Minseok's arm. Too late, he remembers that he's not supposed to startle Minseok, but apparently that's only dangerous when waking him up because Minseok only jumps a little and doesn't pull a knife on him. "What are you doing?" he asks.

"I'm not that cold," he explains. "Let me warm you up." He doesn't know if Minseok will find that strange, but it seems reasonable to him. Everyone knows that sharing body heat is a good way to stay warm.

Whatever he thinks of it, Minseok lets Han pull him closer. He settles against Han's side, and Han wraps an arm around his shoulders. Minseok seems very small like this, curling into himself, and a little pathetic as Han feels him shiver. Han finds it kind of cute, and he also likes that he can do something for Minseok for a change instead of having Minseok take care of him. 

"Thanks," Minseok says through chattering teeth. "You are warmer."

They don't say much more as they wait out the sunrise. Minseok stops shivering after a while, but he still presses close to Han's side. Han appreciates it too, feeling warm where they're touching while his other side starts to get chilled. He leans his head onto Minseok's, his cheek against Minseok's wet hair, and listens to the rain continuing to beat down on them.

Sunrise brings only a weak gray light, just enough to see around them. "Should we get moving?" Han asks when it seems to have gotten as light as it's going to.

"Soon." It comes out whiny, so different from what Han is used to hearing from Minseok, and he laughs. "Sorry," Minseok says, sheepish. "I'm not good with cold."

"What do you do when you're alone?"

"Suffer." Minseok laughs shakily. "Maybe I should look into finding myself a traveling companion to share body heat."

Han's laugh is more enthusiastic. "Maybe you should. But you've got me for now, at least."

"I do." Minseok snuggles more closely against him, and Han wraps his arm more securely around his back. Minseok fits so well under his arm, Han absently notes.

They sit in silence for a few more minutes before Minseok lets out yet another sigh. "It doesn't look like it's going to let up, so we might as well walk." He gets up, and suddenly Han feels cold. "We're not near any towns, even if we wanted to go into one, but maybe we can find some kind of shelter. Or maybe the rain will magically stop once we start walking."

"Here's hoping." Han gets to his feet too, stretching his stiff limbs. His blanket and bedroll are soaked through, and he suspects everything in his pack is too. He rolls them up anyway and hefts the pack onto his back. By the time he's done, Minseok is already ready. His hair is scraggly and falling into his eyes and his disgruntled expression makes Han smile. This is a new side of Minseok for him to see, and maybe he should think less of Minseok for it, but he just finds it cute.

They don't find much in the way of shelter, but the rain does let up by mid-morning, tapering off to a drizzle that's unpleasant, especially with how wet they already are, but bearable. Minseok doesn't complain any more about being cold, but Han can see when he glances over that he still looks unhappy, shoulders tight and jaw clenched like he's suffering silently.

By late afternoon, they emerge from the forest into a wide plain surrounded by rolling hills, and the rain stops completely soon after. "About time," Minseok mutters. Han laughs, but he has to agree with the sentiment.

It's a little hard to judge the time with the sky still overcast, but Han thinks that they stop earlier than usual, both of them tired out from the rain and picking their way through mud. Their current location offers even less in the way of shelter than the forest did, but it'll have to do. "I think if the weather cooperates, we should still be able to reach Chanyeol's tomorrow," Minseok says. "That'll make up for sleeping in the mud tonight."

A fire would go a long way toward making them more comfortable, warming them up and drying out their clothes, but everything is sopping wet and there's less wood available here in the first place. Minseok still tries to build a fire, but it quickly becomes clear that it's futile. "So much for that," he says, admitting defeat. 

"We'll live," Han says with more conviction than he feels. Now that they've stopped moving, he's feeling the cold too. 

They eat some of the food from their packs, soggy though it is, and smooth down grass to place their bedrolls on so at least they won't be sleeping directly in the mud. Minseok is quiet, and as it starts to get dark, Han notices that he's shivering again. "Hey, come sit over here," he suggests.

Minseok looks up, brow furrowing before he realizes why Han is saying that. "I'm fine."

"You're shaking," Han points out.

Minseok grimaces in response. "I am, huh? You must think I'm pathetic after today."

Han shakes his head. "You're still a lot better at everything to do with traveling than I am. You can't help it if you get cold easily. Is that an elf weakness?"

He's pleased to see Minseok laugh. "No, it's just my weakness. Since I'm usually not in a hurry to get anywhere, I can find or make shelter when it rains and do okay, but it's harder when I have somewhere to be."

"Sorry." It's not Minseok who has somewhere to be now but Han, so it's his fault Minseok has to deal with the rain.

"Don't be sorry, unless you summoned the rain." With that, Minseok gets up and comes to sit next to Han, fitting against his side as naturally as if they'd done this a hundred times before instead of only once. Han wraps an arm around him and pulls him a little closer.

"Is that really a thing people can do?" Han asks.

"Summon rain? Sure, to varying degrees. Other elements too, like wind or fire."

"Sounds useful." It would be nice to have someone to summon fire for them right now.

"It can be," Minseok agrees. "Dangerous too, in the wrong hands."

The toasty fire in Han's imagination becomes a blazing inferno, and he shivers in a way that has nothing to do with the cold. Magic intrigues him, but it also means that there are all manner of dangers out there that he's never considered before. "Do people fight with magic?" Han asks. "That is, I know people do, after... But is it common? Surely everyone would know magic existed if it was used to hurt people often."

There's a long enough pause after his question for Han to wonder if he's put his foot in his mouth somehow, if Minseok has personal experience with magic being used to hurt people that he's thinking about now. When he speaks, though, he doesn't sound upset. "I don't think it's common, especially in places where humans live, but it happens. Would you have known you were attacked by magic if we hadn't told you? And if it's something like a fire or a lightning strike, there's no way of telling if it's magical or natural in origin, except for someone with the same type of magic."

"So someone could be attacked right in front of humans and we wouldn't know what we were seeing?" It's a scary thought to consider. Has he been blind to magic right in front of him?

"It's possible. There are ways to use elemental magic which are more obvious, like a jet of fire, but it's also extremely easy to disguise the use. I don't know myself how often it happens." He chuckles softly. "Have I scared you now?"

"I'm not—" Han's protest is automatic (thanks to all his older brothers' teasing), but he stops himself. "A little," he admits.

"It's okay," Minseok says. "I'd be scared too if I was having all this dumped on me."

Before Han can think of a response, Minseok shivers again, downright violently. "Are you still so cold?" Han asks.

"It's because I'm wet, but our clothes won't dry without a fire." He sighs again, and Han thinks that he's probably heard Minseok sigh more times today than during the whole rest of the time they've been traveling together.

Han considers suggesting he take his clothes off, but he's not sure if it would help, and if someone were to attack them, that would be an unfortunate state to be in. Instead, he says, "Here, move closer," guiding Minseok with a hand on his hip to move between Han's legs. 

Minseok goes readily, and doesn't protest when Han wraps both arms around him. His still-damp hair tickles Han's cheek, and maybe it should feel strange for them to be sitting like this when they still barely know each other and Han is a prince, but Han doesn't mind. He may not know Minseok well, but they've spent a lot of time alone together and Han feels comfortable with him, comfortable enough for this. He's never had a chance to be close to men his age, or really to anyone outside of his family and a noble friend or two, and it's nice to be able to get to know Minseok and let down his guard around him.

They sit in silence for a while before Minseok mumbles, sounding sleepy, "Do you have to go home? You're such a nice heater that I'd like to keep you."

Han laughs into Minseok's hair. "Unfortunately, yes. But you've got me for another week."

"Good." Minseok's voice drops even lower as he adds, "But it better not rain again during that time."

"I'll be sure to tell that weather that." Minseok is leaning heavily onto Han's chest, so he asks, "Are you going to fall asleep?"

"I...oh, right, watch." Minseok starts to sit up, but Han holds him back.

"It's fine. I can take the first shift tonight since you got woken up this morning."

"Are you sure?" Minseok tips his head back to look at Han. The light is almost completely gone, but his eyes look very large and dark this close.

"Just sleep. I've got it." It's probably not the most effective way to keep watch, or at least to be prepared if something happens, but Han keeps his arms around Minseok, who relaxes again, slumping a little lower. He turns his head, resting his cheek on Han's chest, and very quickly, his breathing evens out into the steady rhythm of sleep.

Han is warmed by Minseok's body against his, and calmed by his steady breathing. It makes him want to go to sleep too, but he can't do that after he said he could handle keeping watch. He tries to keep his thoughts occupied so he won't fall asleep, and finds himself thinking about Minseok.

It's strange to think that it's only two weeks since he met Minseok. They've spent so much time together, just the two of them, without anything to do besides walk and talk to each other, that it feels like a lot longer. Han doesn't delude himself into thinking that he knows Minseok well; he's guarded in a subtle way, talking easily and answering just about any question Han asks but not volunteering much information about himself. Still, while he may not know much of Minseok's history, Han does feel like he's getting to know _him_ : his personality, his likes and dislikes, what makes him laugh.

It's also strange to think that Minseok isn't human, as easy as it is to forget that most of the time. It's also been two weeks since Han's first encounter with magic (and he doesn't let himself follow that train of thought), and a little less since he found out that that's what it was. He's still getting used to the idea that magic exists, and still learning about its myriad forms. The only example he's had much experience with so far is Minseok, whose very existence is magic, but it's easy to forget that.

Minseok looks human and sounds human and seems to have the same needs and wants as your average human. He feels human in Han's arms right now, his heartbeat and his breathing unremarkable. It's hard to believe that he's not human, but maybe that's the lesson Han should take from this: magical beings, or people like Yixing who use magic, aren't so different from humans in any way that matters. He doesn't know if that's true for all of them, but he'll see another example when he meets Chanyeol the giant soon enough.

The hours crawl by and Han has trouble judging how long it's been, but at last he decides it's time to wake Minseok up and take his turn at sleeping. "Minseok," he says quietly, not daring to shake Minseok awake even in this situation. "Minseok."

He doesn't think it's enough, but then the elf stirs. "Is it morning?" he mumbles, half muffled by Han's chest. "No, wait, I slept first." He sits up and turns to look at Han. He's very close, but in the dark, Han can't see a thing. "Sorry to fall asleep on you."

"I don't mind," Han assures him. "Are you going to be okay keeping watch now?"

"I'll live," Minseok says. "You should get some proper rest." He pulls out of Han's hold, and Han feels the loss of his warmth and also the comfort of having someone close. Minseok goes to sit on his own bedroll, and Han lies down. He realizes once he does how tired he is, and Minseok has barely finished saying, "Goodnight," before he's sound asleep.

***

The next day dawns warm and bright, to Han and Minseok's relief. Their clothes and their bags dry in the sun, and the pleasant weather buoys their steps, helping them make good time despite the ground still being muddy. "If we keep this up, I think we'll be able to make it to Chanyeol's place by tonight," Minseok says. That, too, helps Han walk faster, excited to sleep indoors and eat a good meal or two.

They're both relatively quiet, perhaps still tired from the long, cold day before, so Han's mind wanders. He thinks about meeting his first giant and about Minseok sleeping in his arms last night. He thinks about how nice it'll be to go back to riding a horse instead of walking all day long, and about how much sooner it'll get him home. He thinks about seeing his parents and his brothers again, about sleeping in his own bed and eating the foods he's missed from home. He thinks about saying goodbye to Minseok when they reach the capital, and suddenly he feels a little sad. 

Minseok may very well be the first friend he's made on his own, and while he knows that Han's a prince, he's never seemed to care about that. He's an interesting guy too, and kind and caring without making a big deal of it. Han will miss him, but he reasons that this doesn't have to be the end for them. Minseok travels all the time, and after what he's done for Han, the king and queen should welcome him back to the castle any time he wants to come visit. Assuming Minseok isn't eager to be rid of Han, which is doesn't seem like he is, they'll see each other again someday.

When evening approaches and there are still no signs of civilization anywhere, Han starts to worry that they won't be able to make it to Chanyeol's today after all. "Are we close?" he asks Minseok.

"Not as close as I'd like, but if you don't mind walking right up until it gets dark, we should be able to make it. What do you think?"

Han is tired, but now that he's had the possibility of a warm, dry place to sleep dangled over his head, he doesn't want to settle for another night on the ground. "Let's keep going."

"Good," Minseok says, quite emphatically. "It'll be nice to have a chance to get all this mud off of us." They found a stream to splash in earlier, but their clothes are still in pretty disastrous condition. Surprisingly, Han hasn't really been paying attention, even though it's very unprincely of him to be such a mess. 

"I'd think you would be used to it," he comments.

Minseok turns around to show Han the face he's making. "I can live with being dirty, but it doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Is that an elf thing?" Han asks.

Minseok laughs, turning forward again. "No, that's just me. Is asking lots of questions a human thing?"

"I—no—I mean—that is—do you mind?" Han splutters, thinking he's offended Minseok, but then he realizes Minseok is laughing again.

"I'm just teasing. I don't mind your questions, but you should realize that my personality doesn't come from being an elf any more than yours comes from being a human. I'm probably more like some humans than I am like some elves."

"You're right," Han answers seriously. "I'm sorry." Minseok may not be mad, but it's a good point, one Han should remember if he's going to meet more magical people.

"Don't worry about it. To tell you the truth, you've been a lot better about it than I thought you would be, considering you didn't know anything at all about magic until two weeks ago. I would think your average human would want to forget all about magic and go back to pretending they live in a simpler world."

"Pretending won't change anything," Han points out, "and it's interesting. I mean...I know it's not all fun, but I'm curious, and I'll be safer knowing about the bad parts than not, right?"

"That's true." Minseok stops abruptly and looks around before declaring, "We're almost there! Another hour at most."

The sun is sinking too quickly and it's almost completely dark by the time the hour is up, but Minseok squints into the distance and says, "Right over there."

Han can't see a thing, but he's realized by now that Minseok can see better in the dark than he can. He lets Minseok lead the way until they're close enough that he can see a farm. There's a small house and what looks like stables and a chicken coop, and Han thinks he sees another building or two further away.

Unlike with Yixing, Minseok walks right up to the door and knocks on it. There's no answer, so he knocks again, harder, and this time the door opens and a deep voice exclaims, "Minseok! Good to see you!"

"Hi, Chanyeol," Minseok says mildly, sounding amused by the giant's enthusiasm.

After hearing that he's a giant, seeing Chanyeol is almost anticlimactic. He _is_ big, twice as tall as Minseok and broader too, with proportionally large hands. He'd be enormous for a human, but probably not impossibly so, or at least not as far beyond the limits of human size as Han expected. Han's a little disappointed, but maybe he should be glad; Chanyeol's still more than tall enough to make him feel tiny.

Minseok introduces him as his traveling companion Han, and if Chanyeol suspects anything about his identity, he doesn't say so. "Han's trying to get home to the capital and we were hoping to borrow horses to get us there quickly.

"Of course. But you'll at least stay the night, won't you? You look a mess. Did you get caught in that rainstorm?" After his initial excitement to see Minseok, Chanyeol seems to have mellowed out, his voice falling to a low rumbling.

"We did." Minseok frowns down at his clothes. "Do you still have that stash of spare clothing? It'd be nice if we could borrow something clean."

"You know where it is." Chanyeol gestures down the hallway. "I was just in the middle of making dinner. Let me see what I can add to make it enough for three."

"Thank you." Minseok smiles brightly, and Chanyeol's answering smile is almost blinding.

Han follows Minseok down the hallway, past two doors and into a bedroom, the lamp Chanyeol gave them lighting up the room. Minseok moves like he knows his way around, pulling a box out from under the oversized bed. "Do you come here often?" Han asks as Minseok opens the box to reveal an assortment of colorful human-sized clothes.

"Not so often." Minseok starts sorting through the clothes, and gestures for Han to do the same. "Twice a year, usually. But I've known him for eight years, and I stayed with him for a few months once, back when his mother still ran this farm."

"Is she...?" Han asks warily, but Minseok shakes his head.

"It's pretty isolated here and she got tired of it. She lives with a community of giants, far out in the mountains where no humans bother them."

"But Chanyeol stayed?" Han finds a simple white shirt that should fit him and sets it on the bed before he starts looking for some pants.

"He likes meeting other people besides giants," Minseok explains. "He can't pass for human enough to live close to human villages, but at least here, he can have visitors."

Han has a million more questions, about Chanyeol and about how Minseok came to know him and why he lived here for a while, but remembering Minseok's earlier teasing, he keeps his mouth shut. There'll be time, still, to ask some of those questions.

They find clothes that fit well enough and change into them, trying not to dirty the room too much. Han is preoccupied with the tangled laces on his shirt, so he doesn't notice the clothes Minseok has picked until he turns around and sees him in a vibrantly pink shirt. It's so bright, in sharp contrast to the faded blues and blacks of Minseok's usual outfit, and it makes Han laugh. "What?" Minseok asks.

"Your shirt," Han explains. "It's so colorful."

Minseok makes a face. "It's just a shirt. What's wrong with being colorful?"

"Nothing. It looks good on you." The contrast between the shirt and Minseok's dark hair and eyes is nice.

"I clean up good," Minseok jokes. He sounds embarrassed, but Han doesn't know if it's from the teasing or the compliment. He moves to pick up his discarded clothing and then Han's. "I'm going to go out and wash these. Why don't you go see if Chanyeol needs any help with cooking?"

Han follows the smell of food to the kitchen. Whatever Chanyeol is making, it smells delicious, especially after two weeks of eating whatever they (which is to say Minseok) could hunt down or scrounge up, quickly cooked over the fire. "Do you need help with anything?" Han asks him.

Chanyeol smiles happily at him, and Han remembers Minseok saying that he doesn't get many visitors. "Sure, why don't you mix the stew so I can finish chopping more potatoes? Where's Minseok?"

"He went to wash our clothes." Han takes the spoon from Chanyeol and mixes the fragrant stew. Look at him, he thinks, a prince, working in the kitchen. It's hardly difficult work, mixing a pot of stew, but it's more than he ever does at home.

"Of course he did," Chanyeol says fondly. "He must put up with being dirty on the road, but every time he comes here, the first thing he wants to do is get nice and clean."

"I guess he has to take advantage of it while he can." After a moment, he adds, "You seem to know him well."

"I do," Chanyeol confirms. "He lived here for a while after—when we were young." There's something he's not saying and Han is very curious, but if Chanyeol's avoiding the subject, he probably shouldn't ask about it. In any case, Chanyeol continues, "Now he only comes to visit a few times a year, but every time, it's like no time has passed. You know how it is."

Han doesn't really, because he's never had a friend like that, but he nods anyway. He remembers how he asked Minseok if he wasn't lonely, and how Yixing worried about the same thing, but if he has good friends like Chanyeol and Yixing, then maybe he has no reason to be, even if he doesn't see them often.

"So what brings you all the way out here?" Chanyeol asks. "You're a long way from the capital." The question is perfectly casual, but Han tenses anyway. He's started to let his guard down again after two weeks of peaceful traveling, but he hasn't forgotten that someone tried to kill him.

"I wanted to take a quieter route," he lies. "This is my first long trip outside of the capital and there's a lot to see. I wasn't planning to come all the way out here, but my horse ran off and Minseok suggested we come here to borrow some so we wouldn't have to walk the whole way."

Chanyeol nods, accepting his answer without question. "How do you and Minseok know each other?"

"We just met recently," Han answers, which isn't a lie. "We ran into each other on the road and he offered to accompany me back to the capital."

"That's very nice of him," Chanyeol sounds surprised, Han notes, probably less by Minseok being nice than by him agreeing to travel with a near stranger.

"It is," Han agrees. "I would have gotten hopelessly lost without him."

They keep chatting as the food cooks, Chanyeol filling every lull in the conversation with more questions or stories about himself or Minseok. He's telling Han how "adorably tiny" Minseok was at age twelve when he lived here when Minseok comes into the kitchen. "Are you telling embarrassing stories about me?" he grumbles in a tone that suggests he knew perfectly well that would happen.

"Never!" Chanyeol chirps. "I only tell the good stories about you."

"Sure you do." Underlying Minseok's heavy skepticism is the same fondness Han heard when he talked to Yixing. "How's dinner going?"

"Let's give it half an hour, if you can stand to wait."

"I think we can survive," Minseok says.

"Then come sit down while we wait." Chanyeol ushers them into the next room. There's a table there, much larger than necessary for one person, even one giant, but not too bad for three. Chanyeol fetches them drinks and they sit down. Han almost wants to laugh because it seems like so long since he sat anywhere but the ground that even a simple wooden chair feels luxurious.

"So in case he didn't tell you already, Han here only recently learned about magic," Minseok comments once they sit down. "You're his first giant and I bet he has a million questions." His eyes are twinkling when he looks at Han and Han thinks he's being teased.

Chanyeol, though, doesn't seem to mind. "Ask away! I'm happy to answer any questions."

Put on the spot, Han's mind goes blank. "Um...well, you're not as giant as I expected?" He hears Minseok snicker. "Are all giants around your size?"

"There's some variation, but I'm pretty average size. Some people say we used to be bigger, back in the day, but it's inconvenient to be _too_ big, as you can imagine."

"I see." Han is curious, but he doesn't even know what to ask, and he's still embarrassed about asking too many questions. Luckily, Chanyeol is more than willing to talk without any prompting.

"Giants aren't the most interesting creatures, to tell you the truth. That is, individual giants are interesting, but we can't use magic without the help of charms and things, and our bodies aren't very different from humans', just bigger and stronger."

"He says that," Minseok puts in, "but if you saw him lift a horse like it's nothing, you'd be impressed. Giant strength is far beyond what you'd expect just based on size, and it's remarkable to those of us who don't have it."

"I'm glad you think so," Chanyeol jokes, but he's grinning like it's a big compliment.

They pass a nice evening talking and eating a hot and tasty dinner. Chanyeol tells stories about giants he knows while Han listens curiously and Minseok puts in the occasional comment, and then talks about other magical beings too, like his friends the wood sprites and others who are fairies. 

The more Chanyeol talks, the more Han realizes is out there that he doesn't know about, and the more he wants to learn. He can't believe he's spent his whole life unaware of what's around him, beyond the walls of the capital city and maybe even within them too. The ignorance of magic among all the humans he's met is so complete that it's hard to believe it's not intentional somehow, but surely if the king and queen were covering up the existence of magic, he would know about it.

Han's enjoying the conversation, but he's tired after a particularly long day of travel, so he's glad when Minseok suddenly yawns loudly, and Chanyeol breaks off mid-sentence to say, "You must be tired. Let me get the beds ready for you. One of you can have my bed."

"You don't have to do that," Minseok protests.

"It won't hurt me to sleep on the floor for a night or two," Chanyeol says dismissively. "You've been sleeping much less comfortably than me."

Minseok shakes his head. "Don't be silly. The guest room bed is huge for us. We can share." He looks over at Han. "Right?"

"It's no problem," Han agrees. He hasn't shared a bed since he was a little boy who would sleep with his brothers whenever they'd let him, but the bed did look big enough for both of them, and considering that he held Minseok while he slept and has slept beside him every night on the road, there's no reason to feel uncomfortable sharing.

They're able to bathe, which feels amazing and makes Han realize just how dirty he got while traveling, and then Han gets into bed in his borrowed clothes. The bed is enormous, which he supposes makes sense if it's intended for giants. It's also heavenly soft, or at least that's how it feels after sleeping on the ground for days, and it makes Han think about how close he is to being back to the comforts of home now that they'll be able to get horses.

When Minseok joins him, he flops face first onto the bed with a pleased sigh. "I don't mind roughing it, but it sure is nice to sleep in a real bed sometimes." He rolls over to look at Han. "But maybe this isn't up to your royal standards."

"I've been sleeping on the ground, same as you," Han reminds him. "I'm not going to complain."

Minseok smiles at him. "You have held up a lot better than I expected on the road. Not at all what I thought a spoiled prince would be like."

"I'm not—" Han starts to protest, then finishes with a grimace. "Maybe I'm a little spoiled. But people can get used to a lot, don't you think?"

He's surprised to see Minseok turn serious. He doesn't explain the change in mood, only nods and says, "They really can." He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling. "You don't mind sharing the bed, do you? I didn't want to put Chanyeol out, and I figured after last night..." He sounds embarrassed again, and Han thinks it's cute.

"It's fine. There's plenty of space, and I'm sure we'll both sleep soundly here."

"I know I will." Minseok yawns. "Can I blow out the lamp?" Han nods and he does, plunging the room into darkness. "Goodnight," Minseok says, pulling the blankets up to cover them.

"Goodnight." It's warm and comfortable and Han feels safe here, but in the dark and quiet, he starts feeling that something is off. Not in this room, not even in Chanyeol's house, but somewhere. He's never had a feeling like this and he doesn't know what to make of it, so he tries to brush it off. He moves closer to Minseok and focuses on the sound of his steady breathing, but even so, sleep is a long time coming.

***

For the first time in what feels like ages, Han sleeps in, waking naturally to sunlight filtering in through the tree outside the bedroom window. He's alone in the bed, and he wonders if he's slept very late. That strange feeling of wrongness he had the night before is gone, making him wonder if it was only fatigue getting to him. In the light of day, it's easy to let it go.

He still doesn't particularly feel like getting up, but he doesn't want to appear too lazy, so he rolls out of bed. He finds Chanyeol and Minseok sitting in front of the fire, Minseok wrapped in a blanket against the cool morning.

"You're finally awake!" Chanyeol booms. "Good morning."

"I hope you don't mind me not waking you up," Minseok adds at a more normal volume. "We didn't talk about it last night but I thought we could use a day to rest before continuing on."

Han should be in a hurry to get home, but it's nice here with Chanyeol and Minseok in the warm, dry house. He's _not_ in a hurry to get back to traveling all day and sleeping on the ground, even if it should be easier on horseback. More than that, he's not entirely ready for this adventure to be over. 

Of course it's not all fun and games—he hasn't forgotten about the attack or what happened to his guard—but he's never had this much freedom in his life, traveling far from civilization with only one person, a person who doesn't treat him like a prince. He never realized that was something he wanted, but now that he's experienced it, he's not sure he wants to let it go and go back to being supervised and coddled and kept from seeing more than a small fraction of what's out there in the world.

He nods in agreement with Minseok. "It'll be good to rest. I don't mind."

They spend a relatively relaxing day on Chanyeol's farm. The weather is good and Minseok helps Chanyeol with some everyday tasks outside, but they refuse Han's help when he offers. "You're a guest," Chanyeol explains.

"Isn't Minseok?" Han protests.

"Minseok's practically family," Chanyeol says. "Very small family." Minseok hits him for that, but Chanyeol hardly seems to notice. "Hey, do you like cats? You can feed the ones in the stable. Minseok won't go near them."

"You're scared of cats?" Han asks Minseok. It's so unexpected, somehow, when he doesn't seem scared of anything else.

"You would be too if one tried to murder you when you were a kid," Minseok mutters darkly.

Chanyeol laughs but doesn't comment further, just tells Han where to find some food and the cats. There are three fully grown cats and a bunch of small ones not quite young enough to be kittens anymore. He sits and feeds them and plays with them for a long time until Minseok comes to fetch him. He stays a safe distance away, and Han eyes him with amusement. He picks up one of the kittens and holds it up. "Are you really scared of this?"

"I don't need you laughing at me," Minseok grumbles. "Chanyeol does it more than enough. I bet you're irrationally scared of some things too."

"There's nothing irrational about being scared of heights," Han shoots back.

Minseok smiles but doesn't comment. "Come inside, okay? Chanyeol is determined to fatten us up as much as possible while we're here."

As slowly as they're moving, the day goes by quickly. They linger over a too-big dinner (it really does seem like Chanyeol is trying to fatten them up, and he'd probably succeed if he had more time) and then get ready for bed, getting their things together so they'll be ready to go first thing in the morning. They chose two horses in the afternoon, so everything is prepared.

"Are you ready to get back on the road?" Minseok asks as they get into bed.

"Not really, but it'll be good to get home," Han says. He leans back against the headboard. "What are you going to do after?"

Minseok shrugs. "I need to come back here to return the horses, and maybe I'll stay a little longer. Chanyeol would never say so, but I think he could use some help around here. If I stay here for a few weeks, it'll be almost time to head toward Dongwoo's house—that's my dwarf friend."

It makes Han a little sad to think that Minseok won't miss him at all, but why should he? He has other friends, people he's known far longer than Han. Minseok will be just fine without him, as he has been for the past twenty years of his life. Han thinks he'll miss Minseok, but then again, he'll be fine too, once he's back with his family and friends.

"I guess I probably won't see you again, once you're back in your castle," Minseok says. He doesn't sound sad, really, but maybe a little wistful.

"I don't know about that." Minseok looks surprised, so Han adds, "You did save my life. That's more than enough reason for you to be welcome at the castle. If you want to visit, that is."

It makes Han nervous to offer that, which is ridiculous because he's a prince and anyone should be thrilled to be invited to visit him, but then Minseok smiles and he feels relieved, and happy too. "I'd like that," Minseok says, almost shy. Then, quickly changing the subject, "Let's get some sleep. We should gather our energy for tomorrow."

He's right. They have another five days or so of traveling ahead of them, at least five days before they have to say goodbye even temporarily. There's no point getting ahead of himself. Han pulls up the covers and turns to face the wall, feeling the bed shifts as Minseok gets comfortable. "Goodnight," he says.

There's a pause just long enough to make him wonder what Minseok's thinking about, but in the end, he only says, "Goodnight."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See first chapter for notes/warnings.)

It's cold and overcast in the morning, but at least it's not raining. "It doesn't smell like rain," Minseok says when Han brings it up, and Han wonders if his sense of smell is better because he's an elf or he just knows from experience, given how much time he spends in nature.

They change into their own clothes and pick up their packs, stuffed full with extra blankets and food from Chanyeol. Han thanks Chanyeol for his hospitality and the loan of the horses. Minseok says a casual, "See you soon," but Chanyeol insists on giving him a hug before he goes.

They can move a lot faster on horseback, but it's not easy either. Han gets sore in different places, and his hands cramp from holding the reins in the cold. They're not riding so fast that he can't talk to Minseok at all, but it's a lot harder than when they were walking. It makes the time pass more slowly, without easy conversation to keep them occupied.

It may not be fun, but they make good progress, and on the evening of the third day when they make camp, Minseok says, "I think we can get on the main road tomorrow. I doubt anyone is looking for you around here, if they are at all, and that way we'll know where to go. I've never been here before, so I don't know my way around."

Han nods. "The gates are the only way into the city, so we'd have to go onto the road eventually anyway." He wonders what the guards will think when they see him approach with only a single escort. All the guards should know him, but what will they make of Minseok?

The next morning, they make their way toward the main road, finding it around high noon. They ride past some travelers on foot who don't give them a second glance. Han is a little nervous, but nobody looks at all suspicious. Besides, it would be a brave person to try to attack the prince a day and a half journey from the castle. Out on the border is one thing, but here, he hopes, he should be safe. (He tries very hard not to think about how he thought he was safe before.)

They camp just off the road, close enough to have easy access in the morning but far enough away to have some peace. There are small towns and individual houses dotted along the road here, but they avoid those, just in case, in favor of making camp as they have what feels like so many times before. Minseok builds a pile of kindling for the fire as usual and Han watches him closely, thinking about how this will probably be the last time he sees it.

Minseok has made their fire every night, but tonight, for the first time, Han is really watching, and it occurs to him that there's something very strange about the process. "Wait, how do you start the fire?" He always assumed, without thinking hard about it, that Minseok had some kind of flint or some other way to start a fire that he was so adept at using that he could do it in an instant. Now, he realizes that there's nothing in Minseok's hands but the tinder he's just ignited.

Minseok stares at him for one long moment and then he bursts out laughing, louder than he has in the whole time they've been together. "Did you honestly not notice until now what I was doing? I was waiting for you to say something but I thought maybe you knew and you just hadn't brought it up yet."

"I don't understand," Han says weakly, still staring at Minseok's hands.

"It's magic," Minseok explains. "Fire magic." He says it casually, but there's wariness in his expression, like he's not sure how Han will react.

"You have magic?" Han asks. "I thought you could only use things like Yixing's charms."

Minseok shakes his head. "Most elves have at least a little elemental magic. I can't heal without a charm, but I have weak fire magic, just enough for this kind of thing, and stronger ice magic. Nothing noteworthy, but it has its uses." Han can't stop staring at him as he tries to process that he somehow managed to miss that Minseok had magic this whole time. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to overwhelm you, and then...I guess it felt strange to suddenly bring it up. I don't even use it much aside from starting fires."

"But...you hate cold," Han points out, seizing on something simple to object to.

Minseok wrinkles his nose cutely. "Just my luck, right? That's part of why I don't use my ice magic often."

"And the other reason?"

"It's not practical," Minseok says. "It can be used to give myself a cold drink on a hot day, and I could use it to hurt people if I really wanted to, but I don't need any of that, and I'm not going to waste my energy using it just for fun."

"That makes sense." Han doesn't know why he's so shocked. He knew already that Minseok was an inherently magical being, so why does it matter that he also can do magic? Maybe he's just upset that he didn't realize it before, or that Minseok didn't tell him.

"I'm really sorry I didn't say anything," Minseok says as if reading his mind. It's probably written all over his face what he's thinking. "I wasn't trying to keep it a secret, really. I should have realized that you'd want to know."

Han shakes his head, not to disagree but to shake off this silly, childish mood. Minseok doesn't owe him any information about himself, and he does seem to genuinely feel bad for not being honest with Han. It's not fair to hold it against him. "I have to say, I feel like a complete idiot now."

"Sorry," Minseok says. "I thought it was obvious, but maybe only if you know to look for it."

"Any other big secrets I should know about you? This is our last night together so this is the time."

Minseok laughs. "Nothing important. You've already learned a lot about me, you know, much more than most people would in a few weeks." He turns a little more serious at the end, flashing Han a fond smile.

"I'm glad," Han says. Then, feeling self-conscious, he babbles on, "That is, I'm glad I met you. I mean, I'm not glad about the circumstances, of course, so I wish we could have met differently, but I'm glad to know you. And I'm grateful to you for getting me here, so...thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Minseok says, but he's smiling and Han thinks he looks pleased. "But I'm glad I met you too, despite the circumstances. I've enjoyed traveling with you." Then, before the emotional moment can get (more) awkward, he adds, "Now let's get something to eat and then rest. We still have one more day of travel to get through."

"That's right," Han says. "Just one more day." Excited as he is to be nearly home and safe, he can't help thinking that he wouldn't mind more than one more day with Minseok.

***

The next day is another rainy one, but thankfully not enough to soak them like before. The thought of dry clothes and a warm fire in the castle keeps Han going, though he knows there are still hours on the road to go before he can have that. The rain keeps them quiet, plodding along on horses that aren't thrilled to be out in this weather either. They're not the only ones on the road, but the traffic is less than the day before.

They take a break around noon (according to Minseok; Han can't judge the time at all in this dreary weather) to rest and stretch their legs before continuing on their way. Han starts to fear that they won't actually make it today, but at last, the high walls of the capital city come into view. They're still distant, but it's a straight shot down the road and on horseback, it shouldn't be long before they arrive.

Han turns to Minseok with a grin, and Minseok smiles back at him. "Almost home!" he calls over, and Han nods. It's hard to believe he's finally here after so long. He can't wait to see the city and the castle and his family and everything else he's missed.

They pick up speed, Han eager to reach the gates quickly and Minseok indulging him, but as they get close, Han notices that there is a long line of people on foot and on horseback waiting at the gate where the road meets the city wall. That surprises him. As far as he knows, there's no special occasion today; why would so many people be trying to get into the city?

He looks at Minseok, who's also frowning at the crowd of people, and they both slow down. "What do you think is going on?" Minseok asks. He's seemed very knowledgeable about everything until now, but this is (or should be) Han's element.

"I don't know," Han admits. "There aren't any celebrations at this time of year, but maybe something happened?" He's struck by that same feeling he had the first night at Chanyeol's, a vague sensation that something is wrong. There are reasons for the capital to be unexpectedly busy, or for guards to be keeping people out, if that's what they're doing, and none of them are good.

He can see by Minseok's serious expression that he's having similar thoughts. "Let's try to get closer and we'll find out," Minseok says.

The line doesn't seem to have gotten any smaller when they reach the back of it. The family of three on foot in front of them turns around when they stop, and the woman says, "You may not want to wait. They're not letting anyone in right now."

"Why not?" Minseok asks.

"No one will say exactly, but word is that something happened to the king and queen, or maybe the whole royal family."

Her words make Han's blood run cold. What could have happened to his family? Could whoever attacked him have come after them too? But surely no assassins would be able to get past the castle guards. Attacking a lone prince out on the road is one thing. Attacking the royal family in their home should be impossible.

Minseok casts a worried glance at Han before asking the woman, "Did this just happen?"

Han wants—needs—to know, but she only shrugs. "We just arrived an hour or two ago. We don't know much more than you, I'm afraid."

Han's heart is starting to pound as the certainty that something is very wrong sinks into his consciousness. He looks pleadingly at Minseok, as if there's something he can do to fix this. Minseok pulls his horse back a few steps and waits for Han to join him, then asks in a low voice, "Will the guards recognize you? Maybe you can talk to them and find out what's happening."

It's not much, but it's a better idea than staying here and panicking. "I'll go try," he says. "But..." He doesn't want to attract too much attention, just in case. "Can you watch my horse so I can walk up?"

Minseok nods, taking the reins when Han offers them. "Be careful," he says, then quickly, lightly, "Just in case."

Han doesn't smile. They both know by now that whatever happened or is still happening inside the city, it's not good. Especially after Han was attacked before, he has good reason to be careful. He moves down the road without looking at anyone, though they're not likely to recognize him at a glance, dusty from travel, with his hair unkempt. Many of them might not recognize him at all, but he's not going to count on that.

As he moves forward, Han realizes just how many people are waiting to go into the city. The line looked big from a distance, but walking along it, it takes him a good five minutes to get to the front, making him think that people have been accumulating here for some time already. At the front, he finds two harried looking guards, who eye him suspiciously. They've probably had to field a lot of questions in the time they've been keeping people out, and likely some outright hostility.

Han smiles disarmingly at them, but the smile feels stiff and fake given his current mood. "May I have a word?" he asks politely.

One of the guards still looks annoyed, but the other recognizes him after a moment, his eyes going wide. "What are—" he starts, then breaks off, looking nervously around. "We were expecting you weeks ago," he continues in a low hiss. "Did something happen?"

"That's what I'd like to know. Why are the gates closed?" Han tries to keep his voice down too, but he can see some people near the front of the line shooting curious glances his way.

"You see—"

The other guard, who seems to have finally recognized Han too, cuts him off. "I think it's best if you go inside. It's not safe out here."

"It's not safe in there," the first guard mutters, but when Han looks at him sharply, he pretends he didn't say a word.

"I have a traveling companion with me," Han says. "I'll go get him and then we can both go in."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? He can come in later."

"No, we'll go in together," Han says firmly. He doesn't know what's going on, but he doesn't want to leave Minseok outside the walls if there's danger lurking. More than that, selfishly, he doesn't want to face the danger that might be lurking inside the walls alone. "I'll be back."

Han hurries back to Minseok, not caring this time who notices him. He finds Minseok sitting calmly with the horses and tells him quietly, "Let's go forward." The man and woman in front of them turn to look at them in surprise, and Han looks away, feeling guilty. Minseok doesn't ask questions, just hands Han the reins once he's back on his horse and follows him forward, along the side of the crowded road.

Han doesn't look at anyone as they ride beside the line of people, guilt mixing with the fear that's settled in his chest, and soon they're back at the front of the line. The guards eye Minseok skeptically, which Han can't blame them for. He's very clearly not a member of Han's personal guard, and there's no reason, as far as they know, that he should be traveling with anyone else. "If I may ask, your escort..."

"I'll explain inside," Han says shortly. "But I assure you that he's trustworthy. Let us both in." In the last few weeks of traveling with Minseok, Han hasn't spoken like a prince, ordering people around, but it comes back to him now. He's not harsh—he's never been the type—but there's no room for argument in his tone.

The guards don't question him further, moving to let Han and Minseok (and only them) inside. There's angry rumbling from the people gathered behind them, but Han can't worry about them now. He needs to know what's happened to his family.

There's another guard inside, and he moves to confront them the moment the gate slams shut behind them. "Hey, nobody is allowed—" Like the previous guard, he stops mid-sentence, recognition dawning on his face. "Prince! How did you...?" He looks around warily. "It's not safe. You should go indoors somewhere."

"I don't understand," Han says. "Why isn't it safe?"

The guard points up toward the castle by way of answer, and Han turns to look, jaw dropping at what he sees. Up on the hill at the center of the city, where the castle should be, there's...nothing. Or rather, not nothing, but a vague darkness that seems to have engulfed the castle, bleeding into the air around it. A month ago, Han would have had no idea what to make of it, but now that he knows about magic, he can't imagine that it's anything else.

He turns to Minseok for confirmation, and Minseok looks back at him with scared eyes. "Is there somewhere safe we can go to talk about this?" he asks.

Han's eyes drift back to the negative space where the castle should be and he can't look away. _The castle_ is supposed to be safe, the safest place in the whole kingdom. If it's not safe anymore, where is? "Prince?" Minseok presses. (He never calls Han that, but perhaps with the guard here, he's being careful.)

With great effort, Han tears his eyes away from the darkness and looks around. Except for the castle, the city seems undamaged. "Yes," he says. "I know a place." To the guard, he says, "Stay at your post. Don't tell anyone you've seen me. Not _anyone_ , do you understand?"

"Yes, prince," the guard replies.

They leave their horses at a hitching post to move more quietly and draw less attention to themselves, but keep their packs with them. It's better for Han to look like an ordinary traveler, even if his fine clothes, not entirely destroyed by travel, may still give him away. "Where are we going?" Minseok asks, still quiet.

"A friend's house," Han tells him. "Whatever's happened here, I know I can trust him." He hopes Junmyeon will be there, and will be able to explain the situation to him. He hopes, too, that Junmyeon will know how to make it better, because Junmyeon has always been good at solving problems, but he suspects that's too much to ask.

They make their way in silence toward Junmyeon's house, Minseok tagging along a step behind like Han has been doing to him up until now. The streets are eerily quiet, and Han hopes that the people of the city are hiding inside instead of the much more frightening alternatives. He's never seen the capital like this, not even when he was very young and they were briefly under siege.

Junmyeon lives up the hill, closer to the castle, where the nobles in the capital city make their homes. The street that winds up the hill is equally deserted. Han wonders if the nobles have fled or if they're hiding just like the more common people. He's nervous as he approaches Junmyeon's home and knocks on the outer gate. He doesn't have any other friends he can count on outside of the castle.

The servant who opens the window at the top of the gate is familiar, though Han can't remember his name, and he recognizes Han immediately. "Come in!" he says. "Quickly, quickly." He eyes Minseok warily but doesn't question his presence.

"Is Junmyeon in?" he asks.

"Yes, everyone is in," the servant tells him. "No one goes out if they can help it, not since..."

"How long has it been?" Han asks, dreading the answer. Everything about this situation fills him with dread.

"A week now." The servant looks at the ground. "It's...we feared you were dead too." At Han's sharp intake of breath, he quickly amends, "That is, we were afraid you must have been attacked on the road when you didn't return home as expected, and then when this happened... Nobody knows what it is. We don't know what to think."

Han doesn't respond, too busy fighting against the thought that his entire family, along with everyone else who was in the castle, is gone. The thought is too horrifying to contemplate. He has to believe that there's still hope, or he might as well give up now and let whoever tried to kill him before have their way.

The servant leads them to the door of Junmyeon's study and knocks. "Come in," Junmyeon calls after a moment, his familiar voice making Han feel the tiniest bit better.

"Leave us," Han tells the servant, then, as an afterthought, "And don't tell anyone I'm here." The servant nods quickly and then moves away.

Han opens the door, Minseok still trailing behind him. He looks uncomfortable here, out of place, unlike how he seemed on the road or in Yixing or Chanyeol's homes, but that's the least of Han's concerns right now.

Junmyeon is, as is typical, sitting at his table with books all around him, but he jumps up when he sees Han, knocking his chair to the ground. "You! You're alive!" In an instant, he crosses the room and flings his arms around Han. Junmyeon stopped being so familiar years ago, once he was old enough to concern himself with appearances and the boundaries between nobles and royalty, so Han knows that he must have really believed the worst.

It's a small comfort, Junmyeon hugging him, but he quickly lets go, taking a step back to look at Han and then Minseok. "What happened? Where have you been? Who is—?" He catches himself and stops. "I'm sorry. It's just that we've all been so lost this past week and no one knew if you were alive..."

"I'm alive," Han says shortly, "and this is Minseok, who's the reason I'm alive. Junmyeon, what happened to the castle?"

Junmyeon's heavy sigh is answer enough, even before he says, "I don't know. I've been scouring book after book but I can't find anything to explain that... _thing_ that's surrounded the castle, or replaced it. I didn't see what happened, but I talked to people who did, and they said that one moment the castle was there as usual, and the next moment, there was that darkness in its place. Nobody can figure out how it happened, or who did it, or why."

"I know what it is," Minseok says quietly. They both turn to look at him, and Minseok meets Han's eyes as if to ask a question. It takes him a moment to realize why: it's magic, and he wants to know if it's okay to tell Junmyeon. Han nods immediately, and Minseok continues, "It's a magical barrier. The castle is still there, but someone's but up a barrier around it so no one without the right magic can get in or out."

"A magical...are you joking?" Junmyeon sounds angry, like he thinks Minseok isn't taking this seriously, but Han thinks he sees a hint of something else in his eyes, a sign that he doesn't think this answer is completely unbelievable.

"I'm not joking. I'm sure that's what it is." Minseok looks to Han for help.

"He's telling the truth," Han confirms. "About magic, that is. I don't know anything about magical barriers, but magic...it's real. I've seen it."

Junmyeon is staring at him with a different kind of shock than before in his eyes. "Magic," he echoes.

"I know it's hard to believe, but you have to trust me. We don't have time to waste talking about this." Han's voice rises and he tries to hold back the panic that rises with it. If he was attacked by magic and now the castle has been surrounded by a magic barrier, then there must be some kind of organized, magical plan against his family. If his parents and his brothers are trapped in there with no way to defend against magical attacks and no one to rescue them like Minseok did him...

"All right," Junmyeon answers tersely. To Minseok, he adds, "If you're sure that it's a magical barrier, do you know how to break it?"

"No." Han's heart sinks at Minseok's answer; so there's no easy fix. "But I do know someone who can help us get through it."

"Isn't that breaking it?" Junmyeon asks.

Minseok shakes his head. "Jongin—the person I know—can make a temporary hole in the barrier to let us through, but he can't destroy it. To do that, we may need to find and kill the people who made it."

"Who could do this?" Han asks.

"Mages, most likely," Minseok says. "Like the ones who attacked you." Junmyeon's eyes go wide at that, but he doesn't interrupt. "Given the travel times, it's possible that they're the same ones."

Han remembers the attack, how helpless he and his men were against those mages and their energy blasts. If that's what they're up against, is there any hope? "Would they be inside?" he asks. "Or could the people in the castle still be...?"

Minseok's eyes are sympathetic, but he doesn't give Han false hope "The mages could be inside, or they could have left. We'll have no way of knowing where they are or what they've done until we open the barrier."

Han goes quiet, feeling terribly lost, and Junmyeon looks back and forth between him and Minseok a few times before speaking. "Whatever we can do, we should do it," he says, soft but determined. "If there's a chance everyone's still alive inside the castle, we have to get to them, and...no matter what, we have to get our castle and our city back." He turns to Minseok, "I don't understand anything about this magic or why you know about it, but just tell me what I can do to help."

"I think we should go find Jongin and bring him back here. We may be able to take down the barrier from the inside, or at the least, we can find out where we stand.

Junmyeon nods without hesitation. "I'll come with you. Prince, you should—"

"No," Han cuts him off. "I can't sit here and do nothing. I'll go."

Junmyeon opens his mouth, no doubt to argue, but Minseok speaks first, "I understand that you want to keep Prince Han safe, but I can keep him safe more than you or your servants can. I've done it for the past few weeks. If anything, he'll be safer traveling, so that if word does get out that he's still alive, no one will know where to find him."

Junmyeon looks like he still wants to argue, but then he reluctantly says, "I suppose you're right. But please be careful. I don't want you to die when I only just found out you're okay."

"I'll try." Han has never been the pessimistic type, but he can't help thinking as soon as the words are out of his mouth, that considering the enemy they're up against, it may not matter if he tries to stay alive or not.

 

At Junmyeon's insistence, Han changes into clothes borrowed from a servant to make himself stand out less. Minseok suggests that he change too, just in case someone saw them together and remembers what his clothes looked like. The clothes are a little too big on him and under other circumstances, Han would laugh at the way the sleeves hang past Minseok's fingertips before he rolls them up, but he's not in a laughing mood.

"I don't suppose you know any secret ways out of the city?" Minseok asks once they're outside. It's gotten late, Han realizes, but if they have to travel in the dark, so be it. There's no time to waste.

"There are back routes, but they'll be guarded," Han says.

"But there won't be people trying to get in through them?" When Han nods, he says, "Then we should go there. Better for a few more guards know you're alive than for gossip to spread about people going in and out of the city."

The guard at the secret exit tries to convince Han not to leave the "safety" of the city, but when Han loses patience and snaps at him, he immediately lets them through. Han's always had a reputation as the nicest of the princes; if he's being short with guards, then the situation must be dire.

Outside the city, Han almost feels relieved, but then he feels angry with himself for it. His family is trapped inside the castle and he's going to get someone to help him find them. His relatively carefree traveling with Minseok is done for good. His relatively carefree life up until the last few weeks is over, and there's no going back to that.

"So how far away is this Jong...?"

"Jongin. Not too far. He lives in a small village. If you can handle riding through the night, we should be able to get there by midmorning."

"I'll be fine." Han doesn't feel tired, despite the long and difficult day he's had. There's too much else to focus on.

They stick to the road, allowing them to ride more quickly. Han listens to the pounding of the horses' hooves, lets it lull him into a sort of trance state where he doesn't have to think too much. Minseok, riding just in front of him, looks very small on his horse, but Han is glad he's here. If he was alone now, or even with Junmyeon, who is a good friend and brave but knows nothing about magic or real fighting, he'd be so lost.

By morning, exhaustion has caught up to Han, and the horses seem to be feeling it too, moving more slowly. Still, they plod on, and a few hours after sunrise, they arrive at Jongin's village. It's a small, peaceful-looking village, and if the residents have heard about the situation in the capital, they're not letting it stop them from going about their business. They cast curious glances at Han and Minseok, but show no sign of recognition.

They dismount from their horses and leave them in the village square, and Minseok leads him to a house that looks old but well-maintained. When he knocks on the door, a young woman with a little girl clinging to her skirts answers. She frowns at Minseok for a moment before recognition dawns on her face. "You're Jongin's friend, aren't you?"

Minseok doesn't waste time on pleasantries. "I'm sorry, but we need to speak to Jongin urgently. Is he here?"

"Yes, yes, come in." The woman is back to frowning, but not from lack of recognition. She's clearly realized that something's wrong. She walks to the last door and knocks on it. "Jongin, there's someone here to see you."

Han hears footsteps, and then the door opens. Jongin recognizes Minseok right away, and he looks very pleased to see him. "Minseok! What are you doing here?"

"Can we come in?" Minseok asks. "I need to talk to you about something." The smile falls off Jongin's face and he nods, stepping back to let them into the room. "Your niece has gotten so big," Minseok comments, and that makes Jongin look a little happier again.

"She has, hasn't she? She was just a baby last time you were here." Jongin looks at Han, then Minseok, than back to Han. "Hello."

Under other circumstances, Han might laugh at the heavily implied, _Why haven't we been introduced yet?_ , but not today. "This is Han," Minseok says shortly. "He's...well, it doesn't matter right now. Han, this is Jongin. He's a traveler." Han frowns, confused. How is a simple traveler going to help them? They're travelers themselves. "A traveler is a type of witch," Minseok clarifies. "Jongin will be able to open the barrier for us."

"You mean the barrier around the castle?" Jongin asks.

"So you've heard of it?" Minseok asks.

Jongin nods. "There have been rumors spreading, but because it's almost entirely humans living in the capital and no one else has been able to get in to see it, it's hard to get clear information. Have they really taken the whole castle?"

"It looks like that," Minseok says.

"And you want to go through? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"We have to." Minseok's eyes flick over to Han, like he's not sure what he can say.

"You can tell him." If Minseok trusts Jongin, then Han will trust him too. Considering how in over his head he is, he's going to have to take whatever help he can get.

"Han is a prince," Minseok explains. "The—"

"I know who Prince Han is." Jongin stares unabashedly at him. Han wonders, inanely, if that's how he stared at Minseok when he found out what he was. "The rumors said you were dead."

"I'm not," Han says flatly. "So can you help? I need to get into the castle."

"Oh, I...yes, but it's dangerous, isn't it?" He looks to Minseok for support. "If the mages who made the barrier are still around, you won't be able to defend yourself against them."

"I'll go with him," Minseok says. "Even if it is dangerous, we have to do it. Who knows what's going on in there?"

There's pity in Jongin's eyes when he looks at Han, like he's already assumed the worst. It makes Han angry, but he bites his tongue. He needs Jongin; he can't afford to offend him.

"All right," Jongin says. "I'll come." He looks them up and down. "How long have you been traveling? You look exhausted."

"We..." Minseok hesitates. "We could probably use a few hours of rest before going back."

"But—" Han protests.

"I know," Minseok interrupts, "but we need to have our wits about us if we're going to be any use in the castle, and the horses need a break too. Just a few hours."

Han hates to admit it, but he's right. "You can sleep here," Jongin says. "I'll talk to my sister so we can get you something to eat before you go." To Minseok, he adds, "I can get you some blankets to sleep on the floor."

"It's fine," Han says. Jongin's bed is much smaller than the one in Chanyeol's house, but he doesn't care. He's tired enough to sleep anywhere, and he'll feel better with Minseok close by.

Jongin doesn't question it. "I'll wake you up in four hours?" At Minseok's nod, he says, "Sleep well. Let me know if you need anything," and leaves the room.

Minseok and Han are quiet as they remove their shoes and get into bed. Han doesn't know what to say, and he wonders if Minseok feels the same or if he's just letting Han have his space. Only when they're in bed, lying back to back, does Minseok says, very softly, "Don't give up hope, okay?"

Han doesn't answer, emotion he doesn't want to identify clogging up his throat, but he tries to take some comfort in Minseok's words and his presence and the knowledge that they have a plan in front of them. Right now, that's all he can do.

***

Waking up only a few hours later is a struggle, Han's body and mind protesting vigorously. It takes him a moment to remember where he is and what's happened, but once he does, he's suddenly wide awake. Minseok is already up and lacing up his boots, so Han moves to do the same.

"We've got some food ready for you," Jongin says, standing in the doorway, "and I rounded up a horse for me, so we'll be ready to go as soon as you eat."

They gobble down the food Jongin's sister prepared too quickly and then go outside, waiting while Jongin says goodbye to his sister and niece. Han feels guilty for taking him away from his family and into danger, but there's really no way around it. He needs to get into the castle.

It's the middle of the night when they arrive back at the capital, but thankfully guards are still posted at the gates and they're able to get in without issue. At Minseok's suggestion, they leave their horses and their packs outside, quietly entering on foot. Once they're inside, Han is more than ready to go straight to the castle, but Minseok says, "Wait. I think we should go see your friend Junmyeon first."

"What? Why?" Junmyeon knows their plan already, and there's nothing he can do to help them.

"Depending on what happens inside the castle, we may need to get out of here quickly," Minseok says. "Junmyeon's from a powerful family, isn't he?" Han nods. "With everything that's going on, the people will need someone to look to for guidance. That can be Junmyeon, or at least he can organize some people who will be able to keep order here."

It's a good point, one a prince like Han should have thought of before someone like Minseok who's never been any kind of leader. "That's true."

"And he should know..." It's too dark for Han to see clearly, but he feels more than sees Minseok's eyes on him. "He should know that whatever happens inside the castle, we'll do everything we can to defeat the people responsible and bring you safely back here. He should know that no matter what, there's reason to hold onto hope."

Minseok's words seem more for Han than Junmyeon. He doesn't know if Minseok can see him, but he nods and flashes him a tight but genuine grateful smile. "All right. Let's go."

Junmyeon is asleep when they arrive, but he jumps up the minute the servant wakes him, heedless of his bedhead. Han lets Minseok introduce Jongin, but then he decides that it's time for him to be the prince he is and keep his head on straight and stop depending on Minseok to do all the talking.

"Junmyeon, you should know...after we go into the castle, if the people who made the barrier are still there, we may have to leave the city quickly." Junmyeon's eyes go wide, but Han doesn't give him time to say anything before he continues, "I won't run away, not forever. But we may need time to regroup and figure out how to defeat whoever it is that's trying to destroy my family. We may be gone for a while."

Junmyeon looks at Han for one long moment, unspoken sympathy and reassurance in his eyes, and then he nods decisively. "What do you need me to do?"

"Things have probably been chaotic here in the capital, haven't they? With nobody sure what's wrong, everyone must be very scared. I need you to gather the other nobles, anyone you think you can depend on, and do what you can do keep the peace here, to reassure people that it's not over yet. Don't let them know I'm alive in case people are still looking for me, but don't let them lose hope. Can you do that?" He doesn't really need to ask. He knows Junmyeon is capable and always willing.

"Of course," Junmyeon says. "But...I don't know what to tell people about the castle."

"I think you should tell them about magic," Minseok puts in. "At least enough for them to understand what's happening." Han is startled, but when he thinks about it, it makes sense. It must already be obvious to anyone that powers beyond their knowledge are at play here. Better for them to know the truth than to be left wondering. They'll be afraid either way, but better to know what they're facing.

"You're probably right," Junmyeon agrees, "but how can I do that when I don't understand what's happening myself?"

"I can explain it to you," Jongin offers. "After, if you want." The offer is directed at Junmyeon, but Jongin looks at Minseok for approval.

"Good," Minseok says. "You won't have any trouble getting in and out of the city if you have to. Then...are we ready?"

"May I have a minute, prince?" Junmyeon asks. "Alone?"

"I'll be right out," Han tells Minseok and Jongin, and they leave the room.

It's written all over Junmyeon's face what he thinks Han will find when he goes to the castle, though he's trying not to show it. "Be careful," he says. "And don't give up, no matter what. I'll be here waiting for you. Everyone will be waiting for you."

"I won't," Han says with more confidence than he feels.

"Good." Junmyeon smiles and moves toward the door. "I'll let you go, then. If you don't have to run, come back and find me. I won't be sleeping any more tonight." When he opens the door, he tells Jongin and Minseok, "You be careful too," and then directly to Minseok, "Take care of him." He doesn't elaborate, but Minseok nods without hesitation. With a last pat on Han's back, Junmyeon lets them go.

Within the capital city, Han knows his way around, so he leads them uphill toward the castle. In the dark, he can't see the barrier, but somehow he's still all too aware of the absence of the castle where it should be. The castle, up on the hill with its second set of walls, has always dominated the landscape of the city, always been at the center of life in the capital. It feels so wrong for it to be gone, or at least cut off from the city that surrounds it.

No one is out on the street, and as they approach the castle, Han realizes that there's no one guarding the barrier. If they're lucky, that means that whoever created it is gone. On the other hand, it could just as easily mean that they're assuming no one in the capital can break through into the castle. Whatever the reason, they stay quiet, just in case someone's watching.

Up close, Han still can't see the barrier, but he can _feel_ it, this strange thrum of power that doesn't hurt but reminds him of those energy blasts all the same. If even he can feel it, it must be serious magic. Can he and Minseok alone be any match for this kind of power?

"Is there a good place for us to go in?" Minseok asks. He and Jongin are studying the barrier, Minseok looking at it and Jongin holding up his hands like he can sense it that way.

"This road comes to the side gate in the castle wall," Han says. "I'm not sure how far from the gate we are, but if no one's watching, we should be able to get to it quickly." He doesn't know how they'll open the gate once they get in, if the usual guards aren't there, but that's a problem they'll deal with once they're in.

"Then let's do it." Minseok turns to Jongin. "Can you open it?"

"Yes." Jongin hesitates for only a second before he adds, "This is a strong barrier. It would take several very powerful mages to make it. Are you sure it's a good idea for you to go in?"

Han doesn't miss the slight pause before Minseok speaks, but when he does, his voice is firm. "We're going. How long can you keep a portal open?"

"I should be able to last an hour or so, but get back as soon as you can. I won't know for sure until I try."

"Okay. Do what you can, but if we don't make it back in time, just go," Minseok says.

Jongin nods reluctantly, like he's not sure he means it. Han thinks about his sister and his little niece and feels guilty for dragging him into this. Minseok, too, wouldn't be part of this if not for Han. "Minseok," Han says. "You don't have to—"

"Don't be silly," Minseok cuts him off. "I didn't save your life just to let you die at the hands of the same bad guys later. I'm coming with you."

Han doesn't understand it, doesn't know what he did to earn Minseok's loyalty, but he's very glad he has it. "Thank you," he says. And then, "Let's go."

Jongin kneels down and holds his hands up again, and though it's hard to tell, Han thinks he's placing them directly on the barrier. Nothing happens at first, but then a tiny circle interrupts the opaque darkness of the barrier, growing slowly but steadily larger. Han watches, frightened and simultaneously fascinating, hoping against hope that he won't find the castle destroyed or worse.

When the hole is big enough for a person to fit through, Jongin moves to the side, his hands still up to the barrier. "Go ahead, if you can," he says. "It'll last longer if I keep it small."

Minseok goes first, dropping to the ground and crawling through the gap. Han waits until he whispers, "Go ahead," to follow him in. When he gets to his feet on the other side of the barrier, he looks up at the castle. There's an eerie glow on this side of the barrier, in contrast to the pure darkness of the other side, letting him see just enough. The wall in front of him is intact, as is what's visible of the castle behind it. It looks unexpectedly normal, like nothing has actually happened inside. Han hardly dares to hope that that's truly the case.

They approach the gate, the absence of the usual guard the first indication that something is wrong. Minseok tries the door, but it won't budge. The side gate is much smaller than the main one, and lacks the same reinforcement, but it's still strong and securely locked. Han's never had any reason to break into the castle, so he's at a loss for how to proceed. 

"I don't know how to open it," he tells Minseok. "There's always a guard with a key."

Minseok studies the door for a few seconds, then puts his hands on its. Remembering the magic he can do, Han wonders if he's going to light it on fire, but instead a white sheen spreads over the door. Ice, Han realizes. So this is what Minseok's ice power looks like. It quickly covers the entire door and then stops. _What good will that do?_ Han thinks, but Minseok still has his hands on the door, and a moment later, the whole thing cracks falling to the ground in pieces.

Han is impressed for a second, but then he remembers the situation and braces himself for someone to come out and challenge them. When he steps through the door after Minseok, he discovers part of the reason why: there, on the ground, is the body of a castle guard, lying face down, his sword still in its scabbard. The dim light from the barrier only does so much, but Han can make out holes in his body, surrounded by the dark red of dried blood.

"Is it...?" he asks Minseok. He's dreading the answer, but he already knows what it is even before Minseok nods.

"Be on your guard," Minseok says. Han fingers the hilt of his sword and tries not to think about how he didn't even manage to draw it fully back when he was attacked. At least this time, he's ready, not deluding himself into believing he's safe.

They pass the bodies of two more guards on their way to the castle. One is on his side, his face hidden, but the other is lying on his back and Han recognizes him, though he doesn't know his name. "He doesn't look like he's been dead for long," he says, trying not to look at the man's face.

"Magic like this barrier can have a sort of suspending effect," Minseok explains, keeping his voice low. "He could have died as soon as the barrier went up a week ago."

There's a feeling of dread rising in Han's chest, impossible to ignore. The silence is absolute and the guards are dead like they didn't even have a chance to fight back. He's deathly afraid of what they'll find inside the castle, so afraid he almost wants to run back outside the barrier and pretend for a while longer that everything is okay, but he can't do that. He has to know what happened.

They go in through the servants' entrance, just in case the main door is being watched, stepping over the bodies of two more guards. Inexplicably, the same glow as outside penetrates the castle; it would be fascinating if the barrier and everything that comes with it weren't so horrible. Han stops for a moment just inside the doorway, trying to prepare himself, to convince his reluctant feet to move forward.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time to waste," Minseok whispers. "Jongin can't keep the barrier open forever." He puts a hand on Han's back, the comforting touch taking only the tiniest edge off his fear.

_You're a prince,_ Han tells himself, the voice in his head sounding an awful lot like his father's. _Be strong._ Taking a deep, shaky breath, he starts down the hall toward the throne room.

Since he saw the barrier around the castle—since he arrived at the capital and realized something was wrong, even—Han has been trying to brace himself, to prepare for the worst while still holding onto some hope. He's been trying, but nothing could prepare him for the sight he sees when they enter the throne room: bodies all around, people he knows, probably, but he doesn't stop to look because there, on the floor in front of the throne, is his father, the king, dead.

Han cries out before he can stop himself and runs forward, falling to his knees beside the king. He's almost curled up, the crown still half on his head. Han moves him, clinging to some desperate hope that he's not truly dead even as he feels his skin cold, and the crown clatters to the floor. When Han sees his father's face, that hope fails him; his eyes are glazed over, empty. 

"No." Han feels like he's yelling, but it comes out so soft, choked. "No, he can't be dead." His father has always seemed so strong, invincible. He can't be gone just like this.

"I'm so sorry." Minseok's words barely register, all of Han's attention focused on his father's body in his arms, and the sheer, disbelieving horror he feels. Then he thinks about his mother and his brothers. Could they have survived? Someone must have been able to make it through. He can't bear the thought that they're all dead and he's all alone.

He gets to his feet, pausing only to close his father's eyes, and looks frantically around the room. He does recognize people—advisors, nobles, servants—but there's no sign of the rest of the royal family. He hurries back out into the hall, Minseok trailing after him, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. _Please be alive,_ he thinks, over and over in an endless refrain. _Someone, please be alive._

He doesn't make it more than ten steps down the hall before he stops short, recognizing the rich robe his oldest brother Seonho wears when he attends audiences with the king. There's a sword next to the crown prince's hand, but there's no blood on it, like he didn't have a chance to use it. Tears blur Han's vision as he kneels to close his brother's eyes with a shaking hand.

He feels like he can't go on, but the need to know for sure pushes him on. He owes his family that much. He wasn't here to fight—or to die—with them, but he can find them, and help them if they're not beyond all help or say goodbye to them if they are.

There are other bodies in the hallway and in the rooms off of it, but Han can't find his other four brothers or his mother. Is it possible that somehow, they survived? Maybe they were able to hide, or to escape before the barrier became inescapable. Maybe the attackers took them as hostages; the idea horrifies him, but if they're alive, even in enemy hands, then all hope isn't lost.

And then, in the library of all places, he finds four far too familiar faces. His next oldest brother Jeongsu is slumped over a table near the door, blood streaking the side of his face. Yeongun is in a sitting position in front of a bookshelf, books scattered around him. Siwon and Jiyoung are next to each other in the back, the body of a guard in front of them, as though he died futilely trying to protect them.

Han is shaking all over now, barely able to stay on his feet. It's too much. His father, his beloved older brothers, so many people dead like it was nothing. Was it like the attack on him and his guards, so swift and deadly that there was nothing they could do? Did they hurt as badly as he did before they died? Were they as frightened as he was? He can't bear the thought of it. He can't bear them being dead, not all of them at once, not like this.

"Mother!" The sound rips out of Han's lungs like a scream, desperate and involuntary. Minseok has caught up to him but Han shoves past him, running full tilt toward his parents' rooms. "Mother!" It's stupid, borderline suicidal to be yelling when they don't know if the attackers are still around, but he doesn't care. He said he wouldn't give up, but right now, everything seems hopeless. Unless his mother is miraculously alive, unless he's not entirely alone, what's the use of going on?

Even after everything he's seen, some small part of him is holding onto hope. His mother is an amazing woman, strong and brave and smart. If anyone could find a way to survive this attack, it would be her. Maybe, just maybe, there's a chance, and if she's still alive, then Han can believe that everything will be okay somehow, as okay as it can be after this.

Han slams through the outer door to his parents rooms so fast he almost trips over something, barely catching himself in time. When he realizes what that is, it doesn't matter because he falls to his knees again anyway, collapsing beside his mother's body. "Mother..." It's not a cry this time but a broken sob as the dam breaks and Han's feelings overwhelm him. 

He clutches his mother's cold hand and cries harder than he ever has in his life, so hard he can barely breathe. He feels utterly lost, hopeless, caught up in grief like nothing he ever imagined. How is it possible for his whole family, everyone he cares about, to be gone, just like this? He can't believe it, and he can't and doesn't want to accept it.

He doesn't hear Minseok comes into the room, but he does feel his arms wrap around him, holding him while Han sobs his heart out. Minseok doesn't say anything—as if there are any words of comfort that could make this okay—but he holds on tight as Han falls apart completely.

Too soon, though, Minseok's hold changes from a hug to trying to pull Han to his feet. He says something that doesn't make it past the roar of grief in Han's head, so he repeats it. "We have to go."

"No!" Han can't leave his family here. It doesn't matter if they're all dead; he can't go. Besides, what is he going to do without them? What's the point?

"I'm sorry about your family, I truly am, but we need to go. It's not safe here, and Jongin won't be able to keep the barrier open."

"You go," Han says, dimly aware of the way his voice trembles. "I'll stay."

"Your people need you, prince. There's no one else now. Didn't you tell Junmyeon you wouldn't run away? It's awful, I know, but you need to be strong."

"I can't," Han chokes out.

"Then don't be," Minseok says. "You can be strong later, but please, Han, come with me." Belatedly, Han recognizes the urgency in Minseok's voice, the pleading, like he really cares if Han lives or dies. Minseok saved his life, didn't he? Han can't just throw that away, no matter how much he wants to give up now.

Han doesn't respond, but he lets Minseok pull him up and out of the room. He's barely aware of anything around him, but Minseok keeps a firm hold on his hand as they hurry down the hall. They walk quickly at first, but then Minseok tugs his hand and they start to run, past all the rooms and all the bodies and out into the unnaturally glowing night. The gate is still as they left it and they run through and out to the barrier. When they reach the barrier, Minseok lets go of Han's hand and pushes him to go through first, scurrying through just behind him.

Everything starts to blur together after that. Minseok and Jongin talk briefly and then Minseok leads the way down the hill, on and on until they reach the gate they entered the city through. "Let us through," Han tells the guard. It's a struggle to push the words out, and though he's stopped crying for now, his voice comes out rough. The guard doesn't ask questions, only quickly lets them through.

They don't stop for their horses, just walk and walk until finally Minseok says, "Let's stop here."

Han all but collapses to the ground, tears welling up again as the fragile control he'd exerted to get this far snaps and all his grief, the enormity of the tragedy hits him again. He cries for his family and for all the other people who died with them. He cries for his own loss and that of the kingdom. He cries for the sheer waste of life and the hopelessness he feels knowing how much has been stolen away from him and the world.

Minseok sits with him, not holding him like before, but keeping a warm hand on his back. It's the only thing that keeps Han grounded, reminds him that he's not completely alone in this and in the world. Minseok is not Han's family—he's not enough—but right now, he's all Han has to keep him going.

At last, Han cries himself out, his eyes drying and his breathing returning to normal. It hits him how exhausted he is, and suddenly, he can barely hold his head up. "Sleep," Minseok says gently. They don't have their packs so there's nothing to sleep on, but Minseok guides Han's head to his lap and Han barely feels the cold, hard ground. In spite of everything, he falls instantly asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See first chapter for notes/warnings.)

Han fell asleep in darkness and he wakes up in darkness. His head is no longer pillowed on Minseok's lap but on rough fabric, and the awareness of that brings him sharply to full wakefulness. "Minseok?" he asks, fear sneaking into his voice.

"I'm here." Minseok is barely a foot away, tending a small fire. "I'm sorry. You slept for a long time, so I had to move."

"How long?" His body feels heavy and it's hard to sit up.

"All day. You just missed sunset." Minseok's tone is casual, but his eyes are fixed on Han, sympathetic but also measuring, like he's gauging Han's mood to see if he's going to fall apart. It reminds Han forcefully of what he saw the night before, and it's all he can do not to start crying again. Sleep has done nothing to make the loss hurt less.

"Have you..." His voice wavers and Han struggles to get his voice under control. "Have you been awake this whole time?"

"Yes. I'm not sure, but...back in the castle, I thought I might have heard footsteps. That's why I started running. I kept watch just in case, but no one came. Maybe I imagined it."

_Let them come,_ Han thinks, his grief suddenly flaring into anger. He doesn't care what magic those mages wield. He'd rip them apart with his bare hands for what they did to his family.

"I think we should go get our horses and packs now, while it's dark, and then move a little further from the city," Minseok continues when Han doesn't respond. He doesn't say what they should do after that, but what is there to do? They don't know who attacked the castle or where to find them if they don't come for Han, and it would be suicidal to go after them even if they could find them.

Han doesn't answer, just gets to his feet. It'll be better to be doing _something_ , even if it's only walking and fetching the horses. Minseok does the same, reducing the fire to a mere smolder with a wave of his hand. A few days ago, Han would have been impressed and asked him about it. Now, he doesn't have it in him to care.

Their horses are right where they left them, but Jongin's is gone. "He must have come out to get it," Minseok comments. Han shrugs, picking up his pack and untying his horse. Minseok doesn't try to talk to him more, climbing onto his horse and moving away from the walls of the capital. Han doesn't look behind him as they ride away.

They settle down in a place of Minseok's choosing, underneath a small grove of trees near a spring. They tether their horses, and Minseok starts to gather some wood. "I'll start a fire, but then I need to get some sleep before morning. Will you be okay keeping watch?"

"Fine." It's the last thing Han wants, hours alone in the dark with his thoughts, but Minseok watched over him all day. Han is not quite so far gone that he doesn't realize how much he owes Minseok, not just for saving his life but for everything that's come since.

Minseok flashes him a worried look, but doesn't say anything. He finishes building the fire and then lays out his bedroll and blanket for another night on the ground. "Goodnight," he says, and then, more hesitantly, "Wake me if there's...if you need me."

The hours crawl by painfully slowly. Han's not nervous like he was when he first started keeping watch at night, jumping at every sound. He barely hears the sounds, which means he's not keeping watch very effectively, but he can't help it. He just keeps running over what he saw in the castle again and again, until it makes him so sick at heart that he feels it in his body. It's too much, to lose his father and his mother and all five of his brothers like this, all at once, without warning.

_What am I going to do?_ he thinks, over and over. He's the youngest of six princes, with a father who was still in good health. He never dreamed that he would find himself the only one left to rule this kingdom. Even if he married Princess Jia and ruled Yidan together with her, it wouldn't be for years. Instead, he finds himself twenty years old and heir to the throne of a broken kingdom, a throne that's locked away in a castle he can't even enter without help. How is he supposed to face this alone?

Han hasn't found any answers to his questions or any measure of peace by sunrise, and life looks scarcely any better in the light of day. He promised Junmyeon he wouldn't give up, but he feels so helpless. What can he do against such a powerful enemy, a little prince alone with no magic to protect himself with?

Minseok sleeps about an hour past sunrise, probably exhausted after being awake for so long. He sits up, yawning, and rubs his eyes. Then he looks at Han, taking in his expression, and doesn't ask him how he is. "I'm going to see what I can scrounge up for breakfast. I'll be back soon."

He returns quickly as promised with some presumably edible plants and a small handful of berries. Han nibbles on a few berries out of obligation, but he has no appetite. He's not even sure when he last ate—was it before they left Jongin's house? how long ago was that?—but he doesn't care. Minseok, on the other hand, seems ravenous, and Han watches blankly as he wolfs down his share of the food.

When he finishes, he looks at Han, still holding his remaining berries in his hand. "You should eat, even if you're not hungry. You'll need your strength."

"For what?" Han asks. Eating a couple of stalks won't make him strong enough to defeat these mages.

"For whatever is ahead," Minseok says. "You haven't given up, have you?"

"And what if I have?" Han barks. "What do you care?"

"This is my kingdom too, you know," Minseok says. "You're my prince too."

"And I'd be dead without you! I'm useless." It's not Minseok Han's angry with, not at all, but he can't stop himself lashing out. "I've been nothing but useless since you saved my life. Why did you even bother? I'd be better off dead than being left alone."

"Don't say that." Minseok's voice doesn't rise in volume, but it turns sharp.

"Why not? I can't save this kingdom. What's the point in me being alive? My whole family is dead."

"And so is mine!" Minseok snaps, suddenly so loud it shocks Han into silence. "Don't be such a child."

Silence follows Minseok's outburst, tense and uncomfortable. The anger goes out of Minseok quickly, but he looks away, biting his lip, and Han feels guilty. He should have realized, from the way Minseok has been on his own already for quite some time, but he'd thought...well, to be honest, he hadn't thought much about it. Minseok seemed content, despite Yixing and Chanyeol's concerns that he was lonely. He didn't seem like someone who had lost everything.

"Was it a long time ago?" Han asks uncertainly.

Minseok looks up, brow furrowing. "What?"

"Your family," Han clarifies.

"Oh." There's a pause and Han wonders if he should have kept his mouth shut, if there's good reason Minseok didn't mention it until now. "It was...I was twelve."

"When you stayed with Chanyeol?" Minseok nods. "I'm sorry. I...I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Minseok says quietly. "I shouldn't have gotten mad. What happened to your family, it's awful, and I'm so sorry for that. I understand why you're upset. But don't think you're the first person in the world to lose everyone you love. Maybe not everyone is strong enough to get through that, but I hope you are. I hope you can believe you are."

Han doesn't know what to say to that. Minseok's right that he's gotten caught up in his self-pity, letting himself believe it's hopeless so he doesn't have to deal with the alternative. Not giving up, on life in general and on this fight, is going to be so hard. Han doesn't know if he's strong enough.

When Han doesn't say anything after a while, Minseok continues, "Do you know what happens to a kingdom when their entire royal line is wiped out?" At Han's questioning look, he answers, "Civil war, that's what. If you disappear and there's no one left to govern the kingdom, people will try to seize power, and there will be war over succession. Do you really want to leave your people to suffer that?"

"But I might die fighting these mages anyway," Han points out.

"Then at least you'll die fighting for your people instead of running away like a coward. But I'm going to do my best to see that you don't die."

"Why are you helping me so much?" It's not an angry question this time, only trying to understand.

Minseok considers him for a moment, then shrugs, a rueful smile on his lips. "I like you, that's all. I don't want there to be a war, of course, but really...I just don't want you to die. So please at least try not to, okay?"

Han can't manage a laugh, but he almost smiles, just barely, and tries to ignore the stab of guilt that accompanies it. "I'll try," he says, and then he shoves the berries in his hand into his mouth so he has an excuse not to say anything else.

Only later, when Han has eaten as much as he can and they've fetched water for themselves and their horses from the spring, does he venture to ask, "What happened to your family? That is...if you don't..."

"It's okay." Minseok's voice is soft, his eyes downcast. "But...do you want to hear this now? It's not a happy story."

Of course it isn't, if it ends in Minseok's family dead, but it must be especially bad if Minseok is warning him. Still, he wants to know. They've been traveling together for weeks, but Han feels like there's so much he doesn't know about Minseok, and he suspects this will fill in some of the gaps. More than that, he thinks that maybe it'll help to think about someone else's suffering instead of focusing on his own, and to know what Minseok has lived through to still be standing strong.

"Yes," he answers, "if you're willing to tell me."

Minseok pauses, gathering himself, and then begins, "I grew up in a small community of elves within a human village. The humans didn't know what we were, and we kept our magic to ourselves, but we mingled freely with them. It was a nice place to grow up. Peaceful. I had a little sister and plenty of friends, mostly elves, but humans too.

"The thing is...there are some magic users and magical beings who blame humans for forcing us to hide. They think people like us should have nothing to do with humans. They consider anyone who does a traitor to their kind, and think we should be punished."

"They attacked you?" Han asks, shocked. He can understand, as horrible as it is, why someone would attack the royal family and consider anyone who got in their way collateral damage, but how could they go after families just peacefully trying to live their lives?

"Yes. They were probably the same kind of mages you encountered, dark magic users. They snuck into the village at night and killed some of the elves in their beds, then started a fire in the area where we all lived. They..." Minseok hesitates, and Han realizes how tightly his jaw is clenched, and the way his hands are formed into tight fists. Is it still so hard to talk about after all these years?

"The fire started in the house next to mine. It was a windy night, and it spread quickly. I don't know how I got out. I think my elemental magic protected me somehow, but I was so panicked, I can't remember it clearly. My family...wasn't so lucky. Most of us weren't. Out of twenty-six elves who lived in the village, only four made it out, and only one adult."

"That's horrible." Han can't even imagine losing everything like that at the age of only twelve.

"The other three survivors were a father and his two daughters. They offered to let me stay with them, but...being around them reminded me too much of what I had lost. The father used to travel a lot before he settled down in that village, and he knew Chanyeol's parents, so he brought me to stay with them."

"That must have been really difficult," Han says.

"It was." Minseok lets out a little sigh, then catches Han's eyes and holds them, clearly wanting to make a point. "It was so hard, losing my family and friends. I felt all alone in the world, and I felt guilty, too, that I was alive when they weren't. It hurt so much I didn't think I could bear it. And it's never stopped hurting, not really, but it's less. It turns out that I can bear it after all, and...I'm not alone anymore. I lost my family and the community that raised me, but I found new people. New family, I'd say."

There's a heavy weight in Han's chest as he wonders if he'll be able to say the same thing in eight years' time. Is he as strong as Minseok, or will he still crumble?

Minseok, as if sensing his thoughts, moves closer, placing a tentative hand on Han's shoulder. "I wish I could tell you that it'll all be okay, that it'll stop hurting someday. Maybe it will, I don't know, when we're old and gray, but I doubt it. But believe me when I say that it's normal to feel like you can't go on, but you can. You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and you'll find that you can."

Han nods, with as much conviction as he can muster. He can't truly believe what Minseok's saying right now, but he wants to

"And remember...I'm here, and Junmyeon is back in the capital waiting for you. And, Chanyeol really liked you, and Yixing too, and I'm sure lots of other people I don't know do too, so don't think that you're alone. You're not, and you won't be."

"Thank you," Han says, choked, and then he gives into the impulse to pull Minseok into a tight hug. He doesn't know if it's to comfort Minseok after making him tell his story or to comfort himself, but regardless, he finds it does make him feel a little bit better.

***

Neither Han nor Minseok knows quite what to do next, but the next morning, Minseok suggests moving away from the capital. "If anyone's looking for you, they'll be doing it here, and in any case, I think whoever attacked before is gone now."

"Then how will we ever find them?" Han asks. There's also the question of how they can stand a chance if they do find those mages, but he doesn't want to think that far ahead yet.

"I don't know," Minseok admits. "I'm still thinking whether I know anyone who could help. But for now, we might as well move, right?"

Han has no better suggestion to offer, so he can agree. Even if they have no particular direction, he thinks he'll feel better moving than just sitting here waiting for something to change.

They set off on horseback at a relatively leisurely pace. It makes Han think about how he was eager to get home and see his family as they approached the capital. It seems like such a long time ago, though it's only been a matter of days. He tries very hard to push the thought out of his mind; he can't dwell on what happened or even putting one foot in front of the other like Minseok told him to do will be impossible.

The journey is uneventful, which is for the best, but it doesn't provide the distraction Han was hoping for. When they take a break in the early afternoon, Han finds himself studying Minseok, more to have something to focus on than for any other reason. They've spent a lot of time together in the last few weeks, but for much of that they've been walking or riding, or sitting in the dark with only the uneven light of a flickering fire. He hasn't really had a chance to look at Minseok closely for long.

Try as he might, he can't find anything inhuman about the elf's features. He has a round, childish face, with warm brown eyes and strong dark eyebrows, and lips that go a little crooked when he smiles. It's a striking, interesting face, but not unusual in any way that jumps out to Han. Despite the magic he's seen Minseok do, and that impossibly high jump he demonstrated when they first set out, it's easy to doubt that he's not human, or at least to forget.

He doesn't think about what he's doing until Minseok bursts out, "What?"

Han jumps at the sudden noise. "What?"

"I asked you first," Minseok says. "You were staring at me."

"Sorry." Han flashes him a sheepish grimace. "I was just thinking."

"About me?" Minseok asks.

Han thinks about lying, but in the end he says, "Yes." Minseok quirks his eyebrows questioningly, so Han explains, "About how you look. I mean, that you look human."

"Who's to say you don't look elf?" Minseok is teasing, but there's a hint of hesitation that was never there before, like he's not sure it's okay to do that now. Han's not sure it's okay either, for him to be smiling or thinking about trivial things when his family is dead, but he doesn't think Minseok will judge him for it.

"Maybe so," Han concedes. "Is there anything about you that looks different, a way to tell elves and humans apart just by looking?" They did change in the same room at Chanyeol's, but Han didn't pay attention to Minseok's body then. He held him that night in the rain too, and Minseok felt human enough, but it's not as if Han touched him all over. He could be hiding some unique elvish physiology under his clothes. (Han resists the impulse to follow that thought to strange places.)

"I'm told that a skilled doctor would notice differences, but most of them are internal. You could probably stare at me all over and not see a thing." Minseok stops, thinks for a second, and then wrinkles his nose cutely. "That sounds strange, but you understand what I mean."

"Are all magical beings like that?" Han asks. "Chanyeol looked human too, aside from being bigger."

"There are non-humanoid magical beings, but many of them can blend in through illusion or shapeshifting. Supposedly there are some who can't, but they're very rare and very reclusive. Even I've never met any of them. I've heard speculation that humans hunted them down generations ago, but I don't know if there's any basis for that."

"It's strange, that there's so much we don't know about why humans don't know about magic." Han would have liked to ask his father if he knew anything, maybe something he'd heard in the castle back when he was a child, but now he won't have that chance. It makes his chest ache, the thought that he'll never be able to go to his father with a question again.

His expression must give away the kind of thoughts he's having because Minseok eyes him sympathetically, waiting a few extra seconds to respond. "There's a lot of things in this world that are strange. I don't waste too much time thinking about them."

"You're not curious?" Han asks.

Minseok shrugs. "I am, a little, but it doesn't make much difference to me in the end. I have other things to think about." Without waiting for Han to respond, Minseok hops to his feet with nimbleness that might betray his elvishness or might just mean that he's in good shape. "What do you say we get going again?"

_Get going to where?_ Han thinks, but he nods anyway. "Sure, let's go."

 

Night falls more quickly than Han is expecting. Winter is approaching and he doesn't relish the thought of still being on the road then. It would be nice, if irresponsible, to find a quiet and discreet inn where he can spend the winter. If only evil took a break for seasons, or to give him time to mourn in peace.

Minseok is shivering, and Han's not surprised when he pulls out his blanket and wraps it around his shoulders. "I'm sorry to keep you traveling when you could be staying somewhere warm," Han says.

"I'll live," Minseok says, a little grimly. "But if we keep sleeping outside, I'm going to need every blanket Chanyeol gave us and more."

"We'll get you some," Han promises. He doesn't know when or where or if they really will keep sleeping outside, but he doesn't want Minseok to suffer because of him. He's already done so much more to help Han than he's done anything to earn.

Han gathers wood for a fire, grateful for the dryer weather that makes it an easy task, while Minseok scrounges up some food for them. Minseok starts the fire, and they both sit close to it to warm up while they eat. They're quiet, and there are thoughts Han doesn't want to deal with lurking at the corners of his mind, but he manages to keep them at bay for now.

Minseok takes first watch, so Han lies down to sleep, and that's when all those thoughts come crashing in. He wishes there was a way to scrub the images of what he saw in the castle from his mind, but then he feels guilty for thinking that. He can't forget the last time he saw his family, as awful as it was, and he owes it to them and the other people who died in the castle to bear witness. It's his penance, though he can't say exactly for what—surviving, maybe.

He doesn't know how long he tosses and turns before Minseok asks, "You can't sleep?"

Reluctantly, Han concedes defeat and opens his eyes. "No."

Minseok doesn't ask why; the answer is obvious. "Do you want to talk?"

"I don't know." Talking to Minseok the night before did help, but talking only goes so far. There's nothing Minseok can say that will bring his family back, and nothing else will take away the pain Han is feeling.

"Sit up," Minseok says. When Han does as he's told, Minseok moves to sit next to him, wrapping an arm around Han's back. It's strange, when Han thinks about it, the amount of physical contact he's had with Minseok when usually people are supposed to keep a more respectable distance from a prince, but he doesn't mind. He likes that Minseok doesn't treat him like a prince, and he likes the comfort of Minseok's arm around him.

"After...the fire," Minseok says, his voice soft and soothing despite the subject matter, "I had a lot of nightmares. Really bad ones. I didn't tell anyone about them because I thought I had to be strong, and I didn't know Chanyeol's family well yet. I thought nobody knew, but then one night, Chanyeol came into my room and got into bed with me. He's two years younger than me, but giants start growing much earlier than elves, so I was tiny next to him, and when he hugged me, I was practically enveloped." Minseok chuckles, and Han smiles faintly at the mental image.

"I asked him why he was there, and he said, 'I heard you. You sounded like you needed a hug.' Apparently I'd been screaming in my sleep without realizing it." Minseok pauses, pulling Han more securely against his side. "I told him I was fine, but he slept in my bed for the next two weeks anyway. It didn't make the nightmares go away, but at least when I woke up, I felt like I was safe."

"You were twelve years old," Han points out. That's still young enough to need someone to hold you while you sleep.

"You're never too old to need a hug," Minseok says with a soft laugh. "In any case, I'm not trying to say I understand exactly what you're going through, but...know that I won't judge you. And if there's something I can do to help, just ask."

"Thank you." Han drops his head to Minseok's shoulder, his eyes closing again. It's not the most comfortable position, and Minseok holding him can't make him forget, but it makes him feel a little more secure, enough that he thinks he might be able to sleep. It still takes a long time, but sleep does finally find him.

***

Han wakes to yelling and an immediate cold rush of fear. _Is this it?_ he thinks. Maybe they were wrong to think that no one was looking for him anymore. He doesn't want to die without a fight, so he stumbles to his feet, and he's just reaching for his sword when he registers the words he's hearing.

"We're not here to hurt you! Please, let me go!"

Han knows that voice. It takes a moment to recognize the owner of it since she's wearing plainer clothes than Han's ever seen her in and her face is twisted with fear, understandable given that Minseok has a knife to her throat, but he knows her. "Princess Jia." Of all the people who might find him here, he never would have expected her. "What are you doing here?"

"Tell him to let me go, please," she begs. "We mean you no harm."

"Who's we?" Minseok asks sharply, making no move to release her.

"Fei Fei, where are you hiding?" the princess asks. Han has no idea who she's talking to until suddenly a woman materializes almost within arms' reach of him. He jumps and goes for his sword again, but Jia cries, "She's not dangerous!"

Minseok frowns at the other woman like he's looking for something. "What are you?"

"Will o' the wisp," the woman says matter of factly. "You can call me Fei. Now can you please stop threatening the princess? You know my kind isn't dangerous, and if she wanted your prince dead, she could have killed him where he slept in her palace.

Understanding dawns on Minseok's face. "This is your princess?" he asks Han.

"Yes," Han says. "Um, that is..." He makes a face and lets it go. That's not important right now. "Princess, I don't want to see you hurt, but you still haven't explained why you're here."

"I was looking for you." Minseok's grip tightens and Jia breathes in sharply. "It's not what you think! I want to help you."

"If you say it's not what we think, then you must know the prince's life is in danger," Minseok points out.

"Yes, I do. That's why I'm here, to tell you what I know." She sounds genuine, and when she meets Han's eyes, pleading, he can't find any malice in them. If there's even a chance that she knows something that will help, then they have to take it. They have nothing else to go on.

"Let her go," Han tells Minseok. He's not sure Minseok will listen, because Han's never ordered him around, but then Minseok releases Jia, taking a step back. He keeps his knife up, clearly not entirely convinced, but that'll do for now.

"So tell us," Minseok says, "why a princess and a will o' the wisp are looking for Prince Han."

"I was afraid you were dead," Jia says, addressing Han instead. "I was so relieved when Fei Fei said she could find you."

Those two sentences alone bring up a million questions for Han. "How did you find me? And why? What do you want to tell me? Why did you think I was dead?"

"You..." Jia looks nervous, which isn't something Han has ever seen from her before. She was so confident when he was in her castle. "Weren't you attacked?"

"I was," Han answers warily, "but how do you know about that?"

Another hesitation, making him think he doesn't want to hear the answer. "Please believe me when I say I didn't know and had no part in it, but...my father was the one who ordered attacks on you and the rest of your family."

" _What?_ " Han can't believe it. Jia's father, King Jinyoung, seemed gruff and not especially friendly when Han was in Yidan, but he didn't give the impression that he hated Han. Of course there was a reason why Han's parents wanted him to marry Jia, because the truce between their kingdoms had always been a shaky one, but it's held for many years now. For it to be broken with a nearly successful attempt to assassinate the entire royal family...

"I'm sorry. I couldn't believe it either. I knew my father didn't like your family, and he was offended that it was the youngest prince who came to seek my hand, but I never would have imagined that he hated you enough for murder." Jia's speaking quickly, intensely, and Han has no reason to doubt her, but he's too shocked to accept what she's saying.

"How did you find out?" Minseok asks. "And if you knew, why didn't you do anything to stop it?"

"I found out too late. Fei Fei overheard a conversation between my father and some mages, and she found me and brought me to hear the rest. They said...that the deed was done, and now they expected him to uphold his end of the bargain."

Is that what his family died for, a bargain between a power-hungry king and some users of dark magic? It makes Han furious at the same time as it feels like his heart is being ripped out of his chest, knowing that their lives and those of his guards and all the other collateral damage were so easily thrown away.

"How does a human princess like you know about will o' the wisps and mages?" Minseok asks suspiciously. That's the least of Han's questions, but maybe it is important. Yidan, as far as Han knows, doesn't believe in magic any more than his kingdom does, but if the king is making deals with mages and his daughter is traveling with a magical being, that's obviously not the case.

"It's only the royal family who knows," Fei jumps in, sounding impatient. "It's a secret that's been passed down, no one's sure for how long."

"I found out when I was fifteen and my father felt I could be trusted to keep the secret," Jia adds. "I had to promise not to tell anyone. I would have told you if I thought there was any danger, but we've hardly ever used magic for anything. Most magical people don't like us much, since we know they exist but keep it secret."

"And yet you have a will o' the wisp under your command. Do you know how rare those are?" Minseok still doesn't sound convinced. Han doesn't know what to think.

"Now wait a second," Fei protests. "I'm under no one's command. Just because you're a prince's lackey—"

"I am not!" Minseok snaps. He seems startled by the burst of anger and he pauses, his expression noticeably smoothing out. "I'm sorry. But even if you're only helping her..."

"Fei Fei is my friend," Jia explains. "She came to me, not the other way around. My father doesn't even know about her."

This is all very interesting, but missing the point as far as Han is concerned. "This bargain your father and the mages made: what was it about?"

Jia frowns. "I wish I knew. They didn't say much more than that. But I suspect it involves invading while your kingdom is weakened." She looks like she wants to say something else, but she hesitates for a long time before finally asking, "Prince Han, your parents...your brothers...are they...?"

Han can still barely handle thinking about it; he can't say it. He's glad when Minseok speaks up instead. "The castle was attacked. The mages put up a magical barrier around it and killed everyone inside."

Jia gasps, eyes widening in horror, and Fei takes a step closer to her. She looks shocked too, and the tension in her body makes Han think she's angry. "I'm so sorry," Jia says. "I..." She seems at a loss for what to say. What is there to say, when her father had Han's family killed? "I'm sorry."

"Not to be insensitive," Fei says (and it does sound like she means it), "but how did you survive? I would assume that the deed being done meant they'd killed you too. You said you were attacked?"

Han nods. "I was attacked by mages on my way home, just after crossing the border. They killed all my men, but Minseok saved me." He gestures at Minseok, realizing he hasn't been introduced yet. "I was badly hurt, but he took me to a witch to be healed. That's how I found out about magic."

"No one's come after us since then," Minseok puts in, "so either they think he's dead or they don't care enough to hunt him down and they lied to the king. Whatever the reason, we want it to stay that way. Did you tell anyone you were coming for us?"

Jia shakes her head, and Fei adds, "I won't lead anyone else to you, if that's what you're worried about. There's been too much bloodshed already."

"So what do we do now?" Han asks. It comes out plaintive, giving away his hopelessness. What good does it do him to know that it's both these mages and the full power of Yidan against him? He can't fight that.

"Right now, we sleep," Minseok says. "And in the morning...I think we get ready for a war."

 

Minseok doesn't want to go to sleep, but Han insists until he reluctantly agrees. Fei offers to keep watch with Han, so Jia also lies down to sleep. When they're asleep, Han turns his attention to Fei, trying not to stare too obviously. She's beautiful, but she looks as human as Minseok. "What's a...will o' the wisp, was it?" That's a magical being that was left out of his books.

"We find things that people want," Fei explains. "And we lead them to those things."

"Do you mean...?"

"We can travel instantly, if that's what you're asking," Fei says. "But before you tell me to take you to kill the king, let me add that we have a long recharging time. After taking Jia to eavesdrop on her father and then bringing her here to you, I'm going to be out of commission for a while. I can still help lead you to what you want, but we'll have to travel there the old fashioned way."

"Oh." Han's disappointed, but maybe a little relieved too. He's not sure he could kill the king, even if she could take him there, and that would still leave the mages to deal with. "Could another will o' the wisp find me?" If it were that easy, surely he'd be dead by now.

"There aren't many of us, and most of us stay far away from anyone who would push us to use our abilities for them. People get greedy at the prospect of finding what they want, and they can make it hard to say no. I highly doubt any wisp would go near the king or those mages."

That's a relief, at least. "Then why did you go to Princess Jia, if your kind usually stays away from people?"

Fei shrugs. "I was curious. I wanted a friend, and I found the princess. She's never pushed me to use my abilities. I think she understands, being a princess, what it's like to have people want things from you." She smiles, a little sadly, before asking, "So tell me, how did you end up with an elf companion?"

"Like I told you before, he saved my life."

"Yes, but why is he still here?"

Han asked the same question himself, but he'd be embarrassed to tell Fei it's because Minseok likes him. "We're friends," he says instead.

"Do you use all your friends as pillows when you sleep?" So much of their conversation tonight has been serious that Han's not expecting the teasing, and Fei laughs softly at his doubletake. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. He looks like a nice pillow."

"It's not—" Han splutters, trying to remember to keep his voice down. "I was just—"

"I'm just joking. Relax." Fei's smiling, but then her expression turns serious again. "I'm sorry about your family. It's good that you do have someone to look after you right now." She hesitates briefly. "I hope you won't blame the princess. She didn't particularly want to marry you, but she liked you when you stayed with her. She would never have wanted this for you or your kingdom."

Han's a little insulted to hear that Jia wasn't interested in marrying him, but that hardly matters anymore. "I understand. I appreciate you coming to tell us the truth. We—I didn't know what to do before, not knowing who was responsible."

"And what will you do now, prince?" Fei's question isn't harsh, just matter of fact. "Do you have what it takes to defeat an army backed by dark magic? We don't know the extent of the king's alliance."

"I don't know," Han admits. "But I have to fight him. We can't break the barrier without killing those mages, and if the king is planning an invasion...there's no other choice."

"I guess there isn't," Fei agrees. "Considering the dark magic the king has gotten himself mixed up in, I hope for the sake of both our kingdoms that you're strong enough to beat him."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See first chapter for notes/warnings.)

In the morning, they discuss their next move over a scant breakfast shared four ways. 

"From what we overheard, I don't think an attack will happen right away," Jia says. "They said something about 'maximizing the chaos,' and I didn't see any signs recently that the army was gathering. I know some of the soldiers, and they were still in our capital. I can't say when it'll happen, but they won't march in immediately."

"Good. Then we'll have some time to muster our own army," Han says, a little weakly. The thought of going to war against the kingdom he thought he might marry into, of marching away from home and into battle, is overwhelming. He knows how to fight in theory, but in practice, he's not ready to lead an army. For all that Minseok seems to know how to defend himself, Han doubts he's ready either. But who else is going to do it?

"We'll want whatever human army you have available to back us up," Minseok says. "They may not know how to fight against magic, but there's strength in numbers."

"Then should we go back to the capital?" Han asks. That seems like a waste of time when they don't know if they have any to spare.

"Why don't you go?" Minseok asks Fei and Jia.

"Are you trying to get rid of us?" Fei asks.

"It's not that I'm doubting your loyalty," Minseok says. "Or your fighting ability. But are you really prepared to march into battle against your own father?"

Jia goes pale and presses her lips tightly together. "He's right," Fei says. "Someone needs to go inform the capital of the situation. It may as well be us."

"You can talk to Junmyeon," Han tells them. "He's a friend of mine who we left in charge. He'll be able to organize the army."

"But how will he know to trust us?" Jia asks worriedly.

Han frowns, considering. The last Junmyeon saw of him, he was going to sneak into the castle. Jongin hopefully returned to him as planned, but the last _he_ saw of Han, he was an utter mess. After that, and knowing what happened in the palace, Junmyeon will have every reason _not_ to trust someone suddenly appearing and claiming to be carrying word from Han. If he had supplies to write a message, he would, but none of them have anything like that, and he doesn't want to waste time going to a village to find some. 

"What about some kind of token?" Fei suggests. "Something your friend would recognize?"

It's a good idea except that Han doesn't have most of his belongings with him after losing his pack when he was attacked. Even his clothes are borrowed. He looks down and realizes what he has at the same time as Minseok asks, "Your bracelet?"

It's a thin gold cuff, a present from his parents when he came of age, engraved with a curling vine pattern, simple but beautiful. It looks valuable, but no one who didn't know Han personally would recognize it as belonging to him. Han doesn't like the thought of parting with it, especially in light of everything that's happened, but it's the best option he can think of. "All right," he agrees, pulling it off.

His reluctance must be obvious because Jia takes it carefully and says, "I promise I'll return it to you safely."

"Thank you," he answers.

Minseok encourages Fei and Jia to set off immediately. Han suspects he wants to get rid of them, but he doesn't comment. Whatever Minseok's motivation, it's true that they have no time to waste.

Before they leave, Jia tells Han, "I want to say that I'm very sorry about all of this, but I hope that when...when it's all over, we can see that there is peace between our countries again, real peace." They both know that when it's over, there's a good chance her father will be dead. Han feels sorry for her, but not for the king.

"I hope for that too," Han says. "And thank you, for not standing back and doing nothing."

Jia nods, acknowledging his words, and that's that. The two women set off on foot, and Han watches them go until they're out of sight before turning his attention to Minseok. "Now what about us?" he asks.

"Unless you have any other ideas, I think we go visit the fairies."

"Why fairies?" Han asks curiously. His image of fairies doesn't exactly suggest that they'd be good fighters, but what does he know?

"Fairies move very quickly when they want to," Minseok explains as he puts out the fire and gathers his things. "They can scout ahead and report back about what we're up against, so we can be prepared. And some fairies have elemental magic like me, which can be useful in a fight."

Han nods. It definitely sounds like fairies will be good to have on their side. "Are they far away?"

"Not too far. We should be able to get there by tomorrow evening if we ride hard." Minseok unties Han's horse, then moves on to his own.

Han stands, holding the reins, for a moment, thinking. Of course magical beings will be useful to him in this fight, but... "Minseok?" Minseok turns to look at him at the uncertain tone of his voice. "Will they help us? They have no reason to like me when I didn't even know they existed until a few weeks ago, and this is a fight between humans, mostly. Why would they get involved?"

Minseok frowns like he's considered that too. "To tell you the truth, I can't promise they will. Some probably won't. But for one...that attack on my village, it's not the only time dark mages and others cooperating with them have killed innocent magical beings. They're not popular with the overall magic community. The fact that we know dark mages are involved will work in our favor with the people I'd try to recruit."

"Is that enough?" Han asks. 

Minseok hesitates only briefly before he admits, "No, I doubt it will be for most. Having me with you will help too, but it'll only go so far. I've been thinking about what will happen when this is all over. I know you probably don't want to think about this, but according to the line of succession, you're the king now, or at least you will be once you're officially crowned."

He's right; Han doesn't want to think about that at all. The king is his father, and the next king is supposed to be his oldest brother. Never in a million years did Han imagine that the crown would fall to him, not with five brothers in line ahead of him. He's not prepared to rule, especially not to rule a kingdom that's lost so much so suddenly. It's not only his family that's dead but so many others in the castle.

"As the king, there are promises you can make," Minseok continues gingerly, like he's not sure Han can take it. "Promises about revealing the existence of magic and promoting cooperation between the magical and non-magical community. Not everyone will be interested, but I have no doubt that some people would be. We've been hiding for too long." He meets Han's eyes, a wariness Han doesn't expect in his expression. "Would you agree to that?"

"Of course!" Han's surprised that Minseok seems to think he might not. "I wouldn't want to keep it a secret now that I know. I don't know why it ever has been."

"People are scared of what they don't understand," Minseok says quietly. "Especially if what they don't understand is more powerful than them. It won't be easy, not on the magical side or the human side."

"No," Han agrees, "but what alternative do we have? Besides, knowing that magical beings helped us win this war will go a long way toward convincing humans to like you."

"I hope so," Minseok says. Then he smiles and adds, "But that's still far ahead. For now, we should be on our way. We have a long day ahead of us, and more after that."

***

They decide to risk traveling on the roads, which allows them to make good time until they find a place to camp shortly before sunset, choosing to continue avoiding inns. They don't need someone recognizing Han and spreading the news. They still don't know if the mages know he's alive, but it's better not to risk them finding out if they don't.

It's colder even than the night before, and Han follows Minseok's lead and wraps himself in both of the blankets in his pack as they sit by the fire. "Baekhyun's going to laugh at me when I ask him for more blankets," Minseok mutters.

"Baekhyun?" Han asks curiously.

"One of the fairies," Minseok explains. "He's annoying." There's a hint of a fond smile on his lips that tells Han he doesn't really find Baekhyun annoying, or at least not _only_ annoying.

"Do you have a lot of fairy friends?" Han asks. The picture in his head when he thinks "fairy" is a tiny woman with wings flying around, and he can't fit that together with Minseok, but he's sure his mental image is wrong anyway.

Minseok shrugs. "A few. This fairy community isn't the most welcoming to outsiders, but they like elves better than most, and for some reason they like me.

"For some reason," Han teases. It's easy for him to see why people would like Minseok, personally.

Minseok laughs weakly, embarrassed. "What?"

"Who wouldn't like you?" Han says. "Nobody with taste."

It's hard to tell by firelight, but Han thinks Minseok is blushing. It's cute, and also unexpected, seeing him like this. Maybe it's just the circumstances they've been under, but Minseok has seemed so much more mature and steady than Han. It's refreshing to see that he can also be embarrassed, just like Han regularly is.

 

The night passes uneventfully, with no one appearing in their camp unannounced. Han doesn't sleep on Minseok tonight, but he does sleep close to him, mumbling an excuse about body heat. It is cold, but they both know that's not the real reason. Minseok doesn't comment, just smiles gently and lets Han pretend. Han sleeps restlessly, but he sleeps, and that's all he can ask.

In the morning, they set out toward the fairies again. They keep to the road until early afternoon when Minseok says that they'll need to veer off into the forest to the west. It becomes densely packed a short distance from the road and they have to slow their pace, but Minseok assures Han that it's not far. "With a barrier like these woods around them, they don't need to be far from civilization to not be found. We should be there in a couple of hours."

Some two hours later, the woods thin out and finally open into a large clearing. Han can hear the sound of running water, though he can't see its source. "Here we are," Minseok declares.

Han looks around, perplexed. Is Minseok joking with him? He can't see so much as a hut blending into the trees, nor can he see any sign of life beyond a few birds flying overhead. Was he right to imagine fairies as tiny, so small that he can't see them from a distance?

Minseok lets him wonder for a good thirty seconds before he laughs. "Sorry, I had to." He faces the clearing and calls loudly, "We come freely and in peace. Please let us through." Then, to Han again, "Follow me. Slowly."

Minseok doesn't sound concerned, but Han's nervous, not understanding what's going on. Could it be that the fairies have a barrier up like the one around the castle? But he doesn't see any darkness like that, only an ordinary looking, empty clearing. He does as he's told, following closely behind Minseok, waiting to understand.

And then, halfway across the clearing, suddenly everything changes. Where before there was nothing but the forest floor, now Han sees what look like tents, long rows extending most of the way across the clearing. They're nothing sophisticated, but they look sturdy, and they're decorated with flowers. They seem to be roughly human sized, but Han can't see anyone around them, human or otherwise.

They stop in front of the tents and Minseok dismounts from his horse, so Han follows his lead. Standing beside his horse, Minseok calls, more quietly than before, "He's no danger to you. You know I would never bring danger here. You can come out."

Abruptly, a shirtless young man appears directly in front of Minseok, making him jump back. "Baekhyun!" Minseok snaps, shoving the man away. "How many times have I told you not to do that?"

The man, Baekhyun, laughs. "I thought about doing it to your friend here, but it's always so much fun with you." He turns to Han. "Hi, Minseok's friend! What's your name?"

"H-han," he stammers, startled at being addressed and at all of this.

"This is Baekhyun," Minseok says, still sounding disgruntled. Then, "You can stop hiding. He knows what you are."

Han can't tell if he's talking to Baekhyun or to someone else out of sight, but he gets his answer a moment later when suddenly something very bright appears behind Baekhyun. He has to blink a few times before he can tell what he's seeing: a pair of wings that seem to be made of multicolored light, extending as wide as Baekhyun is tall. (He's shorter than Han, but not by much.) Han doesn't mean to stare, but he can't help it; they're mesmerizing, absolutely beautiful.

Baekhyun flutters his wings briefly like he's showing off, then folds them behind his back. Han can still see shimmers of light over his shoulders, but he misses the sight of the wings in their full extended glory. "So I guess you've never seen a fairy before, huh?" Han shakes his head mutely, and Baekhyun turns to Minseok. "Why did you bring a human here?"

"We'll explain," Minseok says, "but to everyone. They're here, aren't they?" He looks around at the seemingly empty camp.

"Mostly." Baekhyun turns around and addresses the tents. "What are you waiting for? It's just Minseok and his human." Han's not sure if he wants to laugh or be insulted at being called that, but he thinks it best to keep quiet.

Like magic (because that's what it is, of course), fairies begin to appear all around the camp. They're all shirtless like Baekhyun, with nothing to restrain their glimmering wings (even the women, and Han quickly averts his eyes from them). There are a lot of them, more than Han would have guessed from the size of the camp. It's amazing, really. Han has ridden down this road before, and he had no idea that this community was here, so close but hidden away.

One other young man is standing close to them, smaller than Baekhyun and looking more serious. "Kyungsoo," Minseok says once he sees him. "I was wondering where you were."

"Hi," Kyungsoo says, in a lower voice than Han would expect from his appearance. He flashes Minseok a small smile, then nods at Han without meeting his eyes.

"Come in, come in," someone calls from further into the camp. "It's been a while, Minseok. Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, see to their horses."

Han, still trying to process everything that's happened in the last few minutes, lets Kyungsoo take his horse's reins and follows Minseok toward the person who spoke. They walk through the middle of the first tent row to find a man who looks older than Han and Minseok but still young to be in charge of this community of fairies. His black hair falls loose to his shoulders and his wings, half spread, seem particularly colorful.

"Heechul." Minseok bobs his head in deference but stops short of actually bowing. "Thank you for allowing us both in."

"You, any time," Heechul says, smiling magnanimously. "Now your human..." Again, with the "your human" thing. Han thinks it's probably wise not to comment on it.

"This is Prince Han," Minseok says, darting a glance over at Han as if to confirm that it's all right to introduce him as such.

Heechul arches his eyebrows, eyeing Han skeptically. "Prince Han? As in, the youngest human prince?"

Minseok hesitates to reply and Han knows why, though he doesn't want to think about it. How he wishes he were still the youngest prince, but he's not, and he needs to take responsibility instead of letting Minseok do all the talking for him. "Yes, I am." He tries to stand straighter and look the part of a prince. "Minseok brought me here because we'd—that is, _I_ would like to ask your help."

"My help?" Heechul's eyebrows climb higher. Then, before either Han or Minseok can explain further, he says, "Come, sit down. Rest and have a drink. If you're here to ask for help, we'll want to be comfortable while we discuss it."

Han finds himself ushered into a large tent at the center of the camp. The tents may look a little rough from the outside, despite the flowers, but inside, it's clean and homey, with cushions spread on the floor. Heechul takes in Han's reaction and comments dryly, "Our home may not seem very fine to a prince like you, but we know how to live comfortably."

"No, no, it's very nice!" Han says, too loud, and Heechul laughs at him.

A number of fairies pile into the tent with them. Han sees Baekhyun and Kyungsoo among them, but no one else makes any attempt to introduce themselves to him. Han looks around curiously, noting that there are some fairies who look older, but it's clear that for whatever reason, Heechul is in charge.

They're given drinks, some kind of sweet fruit juice, and cushions to sit on, and then Heechul says, "So tell me, Prince Han, how is it you even know we exist? Last I heard, the royal family was entirely ignorant of all magic."

"We were," Han says. "That is, I was, and as far as I know, so was the rest of my family. But a few weeks ago, my men and I were attacked by a group of mages." He hears whispers among the fairies but doesn't stop to listen. "My men were killed and I only survived because Minseok helped me. That was my introduction to magic."

"Quite an introduction." Han can't read Heechul's expression or his tone of voice, leaving him with no idea what the fairies' apparent leader thinks of him or his story. "Does this attack have anything to do with why you want our help?"

Han explains the situation as briefly as possible, Minseok jumping in when he falters while telling about what they saw in the castle. He finishes with what Jia told them about the foreign king and his alliance with the mages. "I'd like to fight back, to make this kingdom safe again, but I can't fight against magic on my own. That's why I need your help."

"What did you have in mind?" Heechul asks blandly, still giving no indication of what he thinks.

"We need eyes in Yidan," Minseok tells him, "and messengers to spread the word that we're gathering an army. If you're willing to fight, of course we'd welcome your help, but we truly _need_ your help with scouting."

"And what's in it for us?" Heechul asks. "Getting involved in a war is dangerous, you know. We're safe enough here, regardless of who rules."

"Are you?" Minseok shoots back. "Your illusions are strong, but a determined group of mages could find you, and you know the damage they could wreak." He looks hard at Heechul and the other fairies, and Han gathers that they know his history. "If they intend to hold a powerful position in this kingdom, they won't want any threats out there."

"I understand that this is asking a lot," Han puts in, not wanting to rely on fear to get the fairies cooperation. "But...if we win this war, then I'll be the new king, and I would like to rule a kingdom in which humans and the magical community live in peace, without secrets between us. Of course if you want to continue hiding away here, I won't interfere, but if you want more... I hope to make this a kingdom where you can walk into nearby towns with your wings showing to trade or just to visit and you'll be welcomed without question."

"Pretty words, but can you follow through?" Heechul sounds unimpressed, and Han is getting worried. If they can't convince the fairies, he doesn't know that they have a back-up plan.

"The only thing I can promise is that I'll try, but I do promise that. I owe my life to magic. I won't forget that."

"Do you trust him?" Heechul asks. Han is confused until he realizes the question is directed at Minseok.

"I do," Minseok answers without hesitation. "I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't think what he had to say was important, or if I didn't trust him. We've been traveling together for the last month and I have no reason to doubt his character. If we support him, he'll do everything he can to keep his promises."

Heechul just looks at Han for a good minute as the crowd whispers around them and Han tries not to squirm, feeling like he's being judged. At last, Heechul says, "We'll discuss it. In the meantime, you'll be our guests tonight. Baekhyun, since you're so fond of Minseok, why don't you find him and the prince a place to rest until dinner?"

It's clear they're being dismissed, so Han gets up and he and Minseok move toward the exit, where Baekhyun (with Kyungsoo in tow) meets them. "Are you tired?" Baekhyun asks, awfully cheerful. "You can lie down if you want, or I can give you the tour. Not for Minseok, of course, although we have changed some things since last time you were here, but since it's Han's—can I call you Han? Do I need to say 'prince?' Anyway, since it's your first time here, maybe you'd like to see the place."

He talks so loudly and quickly that Han can only stare. "Turn it down," Minseok says, uncharacteristically gruff (compared to what Han's seen of him, in any case). "The prince isn't used to you."

"Sorry," Baekhyun says without much conviction. "So, what'll it be?"

"Let's take a tour," Han says. He's tired, but he's also worried about what the other fairies are saying inside their tent. It'll be better to have some distraction so he won't dwell on that.

Minseok turns to him with a betrayed look on his face that makes Han want to laugh. Is he really that eager to escape Baekhyun? Baekhyun, on the other hand, looks thrilled. He leads them around the camp, prattling endlessly as he does. Han tries to listen, but there's so much to see and so much else on his mind and so many unnecessary words that he only catches about half of what Baekhyun says.

The camp isn't large by Han's standards, but Baekhyun proudly tells them that they have over one hundred fairies, including the babies. There are several other fairy communities within a few days' travel, but this is the biggest, and according to Baekhyun, the best. They live communally in their tents, with illusions covering both the camp and individuals to keep them safe from any travelers who venture this far into the woods.

"You can make illusions?" Han asks curiously.

"All fairies can," Baekhyun explains. "We can camouflage ourselves, and we can also use our illusions to make people see or hear things that aren't there. The more of us there are together, the stronger the illusions become, which is why we can hide ourselves so well here."

When they've finished the grand tour, Baekhyun seems eager to continue talking, but Kyungsoo interrupts, "Go see when dinner is. I'll take them to get their packs." Baekhyun looks like he wants to argue, but at a glare from Kyungsoo, he reluctantly goes.

"Thank you," Minseok says. He laughs, but Han doesn't think he's entirely joking.

Kyungsoo shrugs it off. "I know how he gets."

"Baekhyun really likes me," Minseok explains to Han. "I'm told he's always loud and energetic like that, but when I show up, he has a tendency to latch onto me. I have no idea what I did to deserve that..." With Baekhyun gone, Minseok doesn't really sound that annoyed, but Han thinks that it's more relaxing without him around.

The reprieve doesn't last long; Baekhyun's back at dinner, which is eaten around a long, low table. "Minseok must really like you," he tells Han as they eat. "He never wants to spend more than a few hours with me."

"That's because you're annoying," Kyungsoo mutters.

"I agree," Minseok says mildly.

Baekhyun pouts in response. "Aw, come on. You like me, right?"

Minseok eyes him disdainfully, but Han can see his lips twitching like he's trying not to smile. "You're okay in small doses," he finally concedes. 

Later, when Minseok gets pulled away to talk to a group of older fairies whose names Han didn't catch and Kyungsoo disappears to who knows where, Baekhyun comments, sounding more serious than before, "I wasn't kidding, you know, about Minseok liking you. He likes traveling alone. He'll go with someone now and then, but in all the years I've known him, he's never traveled with anyone as long as he's been with you. And he seems really comfortable with you. I would never guess that you've only known each other for a few weeks."

Han's not sure if it's intended a compliment, but he takes it as one. "I like traveling with him too." He likes Minseok, when it comes down to it, so he hopes Minseok likes him back.

Baekhyun considers him thoughtfully for a moment. "You're lucky to have him on your side," he says soberly. "Take good care of him." It's such a contrast to the way he acted before, but then he grins, back to what Han suspects is his usual self. "I might have to come fight with you just so I can keep an eye on him. Maybe score myself a few points for bravery."

Han doesn't know what face he's making, but apparently Baekhyun finds it hilarious because he bursts out laughing. "Don't worry," he says, patting Han on the back. "He definitely likes you better." It's silly to compare, really, but somehow Han is happy to hear that anyway.

 

Night falls without any answer to their request, making Han worry. "You shouldn't," Minseok tells him. "Fairies always talk a lot before they make decisions. If anything, I would be worried if they _did_ have an answer for us right away. We need to sleep, so let's sleep and see what happens in the morning. I have a feeling we'll get a good response."

The fairies sleep much like how they eat, in large groups inside the tents. There are more than enough pillows to be comfortable, and blankets and all the bodies packed together keep them warm. Some of the young fairies approach Minseok to ask about his travels, casting shy glances in Han's direction but not speaking to him, and Minseok cheerfully tells them stories (together with commentary from Baekhyun, who has materialized at his side again) until their parents pull them away to sleep.

"It's nice here," Han tells Baekhyun and Minseok when the children are gone. "Peaceful." It makes him wonder why the fairies would ever want to be part of a war, when they're happy here.

"It's great!" Baekhyun chirps, but he's looking at Han like he knows what he's thinking. After a moment, he adds, more quietly, "But our world is very small here. It would be nice to see more of what's out there without worrying about hiding."

Minseok puts a hand on Baekhyun's arm, being gentle with him for the first time Han's seen, but then Baekhyun laughs. "Hey, Minseok, maybe I could travel with you. Wouldn't that be fun?" The expression on Minseok's face conveys very eloquently how fun he _doesn't_ think traveling with Baekhyun would be, but Baekhyun only laughs again, not seeming to mind.

They settle down to sleep, Kyungsoo appearing from somewhere and strategically positioning himself between Baekhyun and Minseok. Han lies down on soft cushions, covered with a warm blanket, and lets himself appreciate the feeling of safety and peace while it lasts. Tomorrow, whatever response the fairies give, they'll be back to preparing for a war.

***

Halfway through breakfast, a fairy Han hasn't been introduced to comes to tell Minseok and Han that Heechul wants to see them. She's very serious, formal-sounding, and Han tries not to read anything into it. He'll find out soon enough if the fairies will help them or not. No use worrying about it in advance.

Heechul and several of the older fairies are waiting for them, without the crowd that Han has come to expect of fairies around them. "Good morning," Heechul says. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," Minseok answers, and Han echoes his words, trying not to let his impatience show.

"I'll get right to the point, then," Heechul says. "I won't demand that anyone cooperate with you. Those who want to stay here in peace are free to do so. But I'm of the opinion that we should support you." Han lets out the breath he was holding so loudly that Heechul chuckles. "Yes, prince, we're on your side. Now, let's discuss exactly what you need of us."

"We need scouts going to Yidan as soon as possible to see how prepared they are for war. We believe they're intending to attack the capital, and we don't want to let them get there. If possible, we'd also like to get a better idea of what magical support they have. We know they have some mages on their side, but not how many or if they've managed to get anyone else from the magical community on their side."

Heechul nods. "I'll send the fastest fairies we've got. Where do you want them to report to you?"

Minseok considers, looking at Han for input. He wants to participate, to sound like he's actually being princely and not letting Minseok run everything, but he doesn't know nearly as much as Minseok does. "By the border crossing? That's where the army will go."

"At the river?" Minseok asks, and Han nods.

"I know the place," Heechul says. "We'll wait for you in the woods near there. Now what else? You wanted messengers?"

"Yes," Minseok says. "To the giants in the northern mountains, if there's time."

Heechul nods. "I'll send Baekhyun. The giants like him."

"They do," Minseok says with a smile. "I think the redcaps would join us if you can find them. Maybe the dwarves in the south."

"Do you think the dwarves would help?" Heechul asks, clearly skeptical.

"Probably not," Minseok concedes, "but they'd be a big asset if they did, so we have to ask. Is there anyone else you think would help?"

"The sprites?" Heechul suggests.

"We'll go to them next," Minseok says. "And then to Sumye village. They're on our way." He considers for a moment. "If you could speak to the other fairies nearby on our behalf..."

"I'll see what I can do," Heechul says airily. "We'll all gather near the border crossing, then?"

"I think that would be best," Minseok says.

Heechul nods decisively, then looks at Han. "Prince, can I trust that you'll keep your promise? I'd hate to convince the magical community to follow you only to have you abandon us once the war is won."

"I wouldn't!" Han doesn't know how he'll rule when this is all over, but he's determined that if he survives, he'll do the best he can for his people— _all_ of his people, magical or not. "I can't promise that it'll be easy, but I promise I'll do everything I can to make this a kingdom where you can be accepted as you are."

Heechul just _looks_ at him for a long time and Han squares his shoulders and tries to project sincerity. At last, Heechul says, "Very well. Then we'll do what we can to get you your army." To Minseok, he adds, "Give my regards to Zhou Mi. I hope to see you all soon."

***

They say their goodbyes quickly. The fairies are already mobilizing, deciding who will go where, who will stay with the children and who will fight. "See you at the border!" Baekhyun calls back before he hurries off toward the giants, who are the farthest away from Yidan.

It's quiet once they're on the road again, no more than yesterday, but Han notices it more after being surrounded by the fairies. "So where are we going now?" Han asks Minseok. "Heechul said something about sprites?"

"Yes, the wood sprites," Minseok says. "Don't call them just 'sprites.' They don't like that. Heechul does it to be annoying."

"Do they live around here?" Han asks, looking around. They're right in the middle of the woods. He doesn't know what wood sprites are, but he would think they would live in this kind of place.

Minseok smiles. "There may be some near here, but the community I'm familiar with lives further into the woods. It'll take us the better part of the day to reach them."

"So what's a wood sprite?" Han asks. They can't ride too quickly through the woods, so it's easier to make conversation. "Are they some kind of tree spirit?"

"Not exactly," Minseok says. "They have a sort of...I don't know, an emotional connection to trees and they like to live close to them because of that, but their powers aren't directly tied to trees. The reason they're called wood sprites is more because of their shapeshifting."

"Shapeshifting? Like werewolves?"

"I don't know what your books said about werewolves, but perhaps. Wood sprites are only partial shapeshifters. They can't change completely, but they can change parts of their bodies into wood."

Han pictures a man with a heavy wooden arm. "That doesn't seem terribly useful."

Minseok looks at him and laughs at his puzzled expression. "You'll understand when you see it. It gives them a lot of strength that humanoid bodies are incapable of. They're usually peaceful, but when they want to fight, they can put it to good use."

"So that's why we're going to them," Han says.

Minseok nods. "And also because I have friends among them. If we can convince this community to join us, they might be able to recruit some of the others too. They'll be good to have behind us."

"You have a lot of friends, don't you?" Han comments.

"Do I?" Minseok asks, looking adorably perplexed. "I've met a lot of people while traveling over the years, that's all."

Han thinks, after meeting Yixing and Chanyeol and Jongin and Baekhyun, that Minseok is underestimating how much people like him. Han himself has come to feel close to him in their time traveling together, and he doesn't think that would be the case with just anyone. There's something about Minseok that draws people to him, and Han doesn't know exactly what it is, but he feels it too. So many awful things have happened recently, but meeting Minseok is the one bright spot in it all.

 

It's late afternoon when Minseok says, "I think we're almost there."

"You think?" Minseok's seemed so confident finding his way all over the kingdom until now, so Han's surprised to hear him sound unsure.

"All the trees look the same here," Minseok grumbles. "Wood sprites would argue with that, but I can't tell the difference."

"Then how will we know?" Han asks. Minseok confusion is amusing and all, but they don't have time to waste going in circles. "Are they hidden too?"

"Not by illusion, no," Minseok says. He's looking around, frowning at the trees. "Let's go slowly and I'll see if anything looks familiar. If we wander close enough, they should find us."

They wander for what feels like a long time before a voice calls, "Hey, Minseok, you're going the wrong way!"

Minseok pulls up short and turns around. "Amber?" Minseok asks. Han turns his horse around just in time to see a short-haired woman dressed in what looks like leaves emerge from behind a tree.

"We heard horses tromping around and I came to investigate," says Amber, walking over to them. "I wasn't expecting you. What brings you and your friend here?"

"I'll explain soon," Minseok says. "Are we close?"

"A few minutes on your horses. Can I have a ride?"

"Uh, sure." Minseok bends down to offer Amber his hand, and she takes it before springing nimbly up and sitting behind Minseok, casually wrapping an arm around his stomach. Han eyes her curiously, noting the way Minseok doesn't seem surprised to have her touch him so easily.

"What's your name, Minseok's friend?" Amber asks, looking over at Han. "He is your friend, right?" she stage whispers to Minseok.

Minseok chuckles. "Yes, he is."

"My name is Han," he tells her. There'll be time to explain exactly who he is later. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," she says cheerfully. "I'm Amber."

Under Amber's direction, they ride a short way to an area of the woods which, Han has to agree, looks much like every other area they've passed through since leaving the fairies. Han's confused when they stop because he doesn't see any sign that anyone lives here, but then he squints and realizes he can see people dressed in leaves like Amber blending in with the ground and trees. "Welcome," Amber says, hopping down from Minseok's horse. Minseok and Han follow suit.

Now that Han's recognized the wood sprites, he can see that there are quite a few of them around. Not, he thinks, as many as the fairies they came from, but still enough to form a good-sized community. One of them, a young man, comes running over, grinning widely. "Minseok! What are you doing here?" He pulls Minseok into a hug. Han wonders if all wood sprites are this touchy.

"Don't get too excited, Jongdae," Minseok says when the wood sprite releases him. "I'm here on serious business."

Jongdae sobers, but his smile doesn't entirely disappear. "Well, I'm glad to see you anyway. You'll be wanting to see Zhou Mi, then?" Minseok nods. "I'll take you to him. But your friend..."

"He has business here too," Minseok says. "It's his business, really."

"All right." Jongdae turns to Han. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner. I'm Jongdae. Any friend of Minseok's is welcome here."

"Han. Nice to meet you."

Han thinks he sees a flicker of recognition, or at least suspected recognition, in Jongdae's eyes, but he doesn't comment, just bobs his head in greeting. "Come this way. Amber, can you see to their horses?"

"Sure." Amber takes the reins of Minseok's horse and then Han's, calling in the direction of the other wood sprites, "Hey, Krystal, help me out!"

Han doesn't wait to see who Krystal is, following Jongdae through the trees until they come across a man surrounded by a group of small children. Four of them are climbing on him while the others egg them on and he's laughing as he pretends to fight them off. This can't be the leader of the wood sprites, can it?

But Jongdae stops next to the group and says, "Sorry, kids, Zhou Mi has some important grown up work to do, so you'll have to find someone else to conquer."

"How about you?" one of the little boys asks hopefully. 

"Uh, I have some business too," Jongdae says, not bothering to hide his smile. "Run along, okay?"

"Do we have to?" the girl on Zhou Mi's back whines.

"I'm afraid so," Zhou Mi says. "We'll play again soon, I promise."

The children reluctantly disperse, and Zhou Mi turns serious. "Welcome back, Minseok. What brings you here? Isn't it time for you to be holing up somewhere warm for the winter?"

Minseok makes a face at that. "It is, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to put that off this year."

"Jongdae." At a look from his (Han thinks) leader, Jongdae nods and leaves them alone. When he's gone, Zhou Mi asks, "What's wrong?"

"First, I should introduce you to my friend," Minseok says. "This is Prince Han."

" _Oh._ " Zhou Mi looks at Han with renewed interest. "I never thought I'd see a human prince out here. My name is Zhou Mi. I'm the leader of this community."

"Thank you for having me here," Han says politely.

Minseok doesn't wait for any further pleasantries. "I expect word of it hasn't reached you yet, but the royal family was attacked recently. Prince Han first, and then the castle about two weeks ago."

"Attacked? By who? Were they hurt?"

Minseok hesitates, and Han tries not to think of bodies everywhere and the frozen faces of his parents and brothers. "They were all killed," Minseok says quietly.

" _Killed_?" Zhou Mi echoes, shocked. "Everyone but you? Prince...I'm so sorry for your loss."

Han nods, not trusting his voice. He's glad when Minseok keeps talking, explaining about the attacks and who was behind them and what they intend to do about it. "We just came from the fairies—Heechul sends his regards, by the way—and we'd like to ask for your support as well."

"Our support," Zhou Mi says, skeptical. "You want us to fight."

"Yes," Minseok says plainly.

"This is our kingdom, but the kingdom has never done much for us. What difference does it make to wood sprites who sits in the castle?" He speaks calmly, but the words hurt anyway. This is the reaction Han was afraid of.

"Would you let mages kill anyone they disagree with freely? They won't stop at humans. They never have." Minseok's talking about his family again, and judging by Zhou Mi's expression, he knows it too.

"They've never hurt any of ours," Zhou Mi says, sympathetic but firm. "If we fight against them, that could change."

"And who's to say it wouldn't change anyway?" Minseok argues. "A king who was willing to cut down an entire family and everyone who got in the way to gain power wouldn't hesitate to hunt down anyone who might be a danger to him. Even if he didn't target you, he might destroy forests to suit his purposes."

Zhou Mi's eyes go wide, and Han wonders if that's the ultimate affront to a wood sprite, to threaten the destruction of the woods they live in. Han half expects him to yell, but he doesn't, instead turning his attention to Han. "You're very quiet, prince. This is your fight, isn't it, more so than it is Minseok's?"

"It is." Han frowns as he searches for the right words. He can't blame Zhou Mi for wanting to keep himself and his people safe. He needs them, but it feels so selfish to say that. "You were right, before, when you said this kingdom has never done much for you. I never knew you existed until Minseok told me, and I believe the same was true of my parents and the generations before them. I don't know why that's the case, but I intend to change that, to see that humans won't be ignorant of magic anymore."

"And how will that help us?" Zhou Mi asks.

Han flounders. "It's, um...surely you must have suffered, being cut off from the world here. You were lucky, I guess, if mages or other bad people never attacked you, but if they had, who would you go to for help? I want us to be able to cooperate, not just humans, but all the magical communities that have been isolated. We have so much to gain from each other, don't you think?"

Han may not be eloquent, but he is passionate, and he hopes that's enough. He can't tell from Zhou Mi's expression what he thinks, or from his non-committal nod when Han stops speaking.

"I understand if you feel you don't have much to gain from helping us," Minseok quietly adds. "Maybe you don't, if you're content to continue living as you always have. But I think...this is the right thing to do. Those mages, they murdered _everyone_ in that castle, indiscriminately. The army they're supporting plans to march on the capital of _our_ kingdom, and you can bet that they'll kill anyone who gets in their way, down to the innocent children. Can you stand by and let that happen?"

Zhou Mi presses his lips together, then shakes his head. "You know my weakness," he says dryly. Han waits, barely daring to hope. "I'll talk to the others. If they're willing, we'll lend you our support. But..." He looks right at Minseok like Han isn't even there. "I'm trusting that you wouldn't ask us to back a prince who will turn on our kind when he doesn't need us anymore, so I very much hope you're sure of that."

Han wants to protest, to say that he would never do that, but it's clear that Zhou Mi isn't asking him, so he bites his tongue. Minseok looks steadily back at Zhou Mi and Han holds his breath until he answers, "I am sure." Then, "Thank you. For trusting us."

Zhou Mi leaves, presumably to talk to the rest of the group about what they want to do, but Han and Minseok hang back. "It may not sound like much," Minseok says, giving Han a comforting pat on the back, "but I think that's promising. If Zhou Mi is willing to help us, most of the others will agree too." 

Han nods, but his thoughts are on another part of their conversation. "It seems like they're agreeing because of you. Because you say you trust me." Minseok looks at Han curiously, waiting for him to finish. "I'm grateful, but...why do you trust me?"

Minseok considers briefly, then shrugs. "Why shouldn't I, now that I've gotten to know you? Why do you trust me? You had no reason to at the beginning."

"I didn't really have a choice, did I?" Han says with an awkward laugh, but he's not sure it's as simple as that. There's just something about Minseok that makes Han trust him.

"Should I be insulted?" Minseok asks, but it's clear he isn't. "I couldn't tell you exactly why I trust you, to be honest, but it seems to me that you haven't held anything back from me all along. When you were scared, you showed it. When you were sad, you told me. When you thought something was funny, you laughed. I have no reason to think you're being less honest when you say that you want to make this kingdom a better place for everyone. I think that'll be a hard thing to do, but I trust that you'll try."

Han wonders, not for the first time, what he did to deserve Minseok's loyalty, but he feels very lucky to have Minseok by his side in this. "Thank you," he says. "For all of this. I couldn't do it without you."

Minseok just shakes his head. "Come on, let's go see what everyone's up to."

 

The wood sprites, it seems, work faster than the fairies. By the time dinner is laid out (a selection of edible plants far more extensive than anything Minseok has managed to gather), they've reached a decision about how to act. 

"We'll leave enough adults here to guard the children and the elderly," Zhou Mi informs them over dinner, "but the rest of us are willing to fight. I and a few representatives will go to the nearby wood sprite communities to see if we can recruit any others to join, but the rest can be ready to go as soon as you need us."

Minseok explains their plans to rendezvous with the fairies and the human army. "You can meet us there. We have one more group to visit."

"Would you like some company?" Jongdae, sitting nearby, asks. "It makes sense not to travel in a big group and call attention to yourselves, but you'd be safer with a few extra people. We don't have horses, but two of us could ride with you."

"What do you think?" Minseok asks Han. "They can help us find our way through the woods, and it might be nice not to have to keep watch half of every night."

That does sound appealing, Han has to admit. He's wary of adding strangers to their traveling party, but Minseok seems to know and trust the wood sprites. It'll probably be good for Han to get to know some of them too, since he expects to go marching into battle with them by his side. "All right," he says, "if you don't mind going out of your way."

In the end, they agree that Jongdae and Amber will accompany them. It'll be a big change from traveling with just Minseok, but both of the wood sprites seem nice and friendly, so Han can't complain. Besides, if they're the fighters Minseok said they are, he'll sleep a lot more soundly having them with him.

 

They plan to leave first thing in the morning, so soon after dinner, it's time to sleep. Unlike the fairies, with their cozy tents warmed by a large number of bodies, the wood sprites sleep out in the open, in little groups of two and three between the trees, with at most a thin blanket to cover them against the cold and nothing beneath them but the forest floor. 

"I always forget how wood sprites are when it comes to cold," Minseok mutters as he pulls blankets out of his pack, including the extra blanket the fairies gave him. "You'd think their skin was made of bark."

It _is_ cold, whether the wood sprites feel it or not, colder than it has been since Han started traveling. There's still some time before winter really hits, but it'll be a rough trip home if the fighting isn't over before then. _How long will this last?_ Han wonders. He's never fought a war before.

There are wood sprites standing guard, which means that Han and Minseok can both sleep through the night. They set up their bedrolls next to each other, and then Minseok tugs Han's even closer to his. "It'll be warmer that way," he explains.

"You really don't like the cold, do you?" Han comments, with a smile to soften the words.

"So you've said." Minseok makes a face. "I'm sorry to keep whining about it."

"It's all right. You're allowed to have a weakness."

Minseok laughs quietly. "That's very generous of you."

They both lie down, and Han pulls his blankets over himself. Minseok is curled up into a miserable little ball next to him, blankets pulled up to his chin. Han gives him thirty seconds and when Minseok hasn't stopped shivering, he says, "Here, come closer."

"I'm fine," Minseok grits out, jaw clenched.

"Don't be like that," Han tells him. "Take advantage of it when we don't have to worry about watch."

Minseok only hesitates for a second longer before scooting back against Han. It takes some adjusting of their blankets, but they end up lying on their sides close together, Han's arm draped across Minseok's chest and the blankets spread over both of them. "Better?" Han asks. Minseok's hair tickles his lips when he talks.

"Yes," Minseok says. "Thank you." He still has the blankets pulled up and Han can feel little tremors run through him, but less than before. "You're comfortable?"

"I'm good," Han assures him.

Han is pretty comfortable like this, accustomed by now to the hard ground underneath his bedroll. He's warm enough under all their blankets with Minseok, and it's comforting, having Minseok close like this. He doesn't feel safe, really, not knowing what's out there and what's ahead of them, but more so than when they're out there alone taking turns sleeping. 

Thinking about what's ahead of them makes Han wonder if the fairies have been successful at delivering their messages and recruiting more magical beings to their cause. Will they be able to raise enough of an army to defeat their enemy? It's hard to believe, remembering the attack on him and the destruction at the castle, that any army Han can muster will be enough to defeat those mages and the force of Yidan. He shivers, not at the cold but at the thought of the danger he's up against.

"Han?" Minseok asks, sounding concerned.

Han thinks about lying that he's only cold, pretending to be brave. It's no good if a prince and future king, the one who's supposed to be leading this attack, is scared. But there's no need to lie to Minseok, who's already seen him at his worst. "Do you..." he starts softly, for Minseok's ears only. "Do you think we can win this?"

There's silence after his question, but Han knows by now that Minseok likes to think his answers through, so he waits. Finally, Minseok says, "There's no way of knowing what's to come. But I think we have to believe we can win. If you don't, then we're already beaten before we start." Minseok puts his hand on top of Han's where it rests in front of his chest and squeezes it briefly. "I understand if you're scared. I'm scared too. But let's try to believe, okay?"

It's asking a lot, but Minseok's right. As hard as it is, Han has to have faith in himself and in Minseok and in everyone else who'll be fighting with them, or there's no reason to even try. "Okay," he says firmly. "I will."

They don't talk after that, but Minseok's hand stays on Han's, and Han finds he feels a little less afraid.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See first chapter for notes/warnings.)

Jongdae, Han finds out in the time he spends with the wood sprite riding behind him, is extremely friendly. He asks Han one question after another until Minseok calls over from his horse, "What's with the interrogation?"

"Sorry," Jongdae says, only the tiniest bit sheepish. "I've just never met a human before. And a prince too!"

"Shouldn't we be more polite to a prince?" Amber asks dryly. "Isn't that how it works?"

"I don't see Minseok bothering with bowing and addressing him politely and all of that," Jongdae points out.

"I don't mind," Han says. "From any of you." He's never been one to stand on ceremony, and he'd feel strange demanding respect from people who are going out of their way to help him.

Jongdae takes that to heart and goes back to chatting with Han. For all that he throws out question after question, Han realizes after a while that he's not asking just anything. He's largely avoided the topic of Han's family, and he hasn't asked about Han being attacked or anything about the war beyond who they've gotten to join them so far. He may be talkative, but he's tactful, and Han appreciates that.

Minseok and Amber are talking a lot too. Han can't hear enough of the conversation to know what it's about, between the distance and his own conversation, but he can see Minseok talking easily with the wood sprite, and how she casually rests her chin on his shoulder like they're good friends. Maybe they are; Minseok seems to have a lot of good friends.

That's a good thing, of course, but Han still feels a little strange, watching. He thinks about Princess Jia and how even though they were potentially supposed to get married, they always sat a respectable distance apart, and how he could barely look her in the eye. They were a prince and princess with no choice about getting to know each other. How is it different when it's a common man and woman (or a male elf and a female wood sprite, as the case may be)?

It's easy to make assumptions, but Han thinks that if Minseok had someone like that, he wouldn't travel the kingdom all alone. There's no reason to assume his relationship with Amber is any different from his friendship with Yixing or Baekhyun or Jongdae. Even so, seeing them so comfortable together, Han feels...something. Loneliness, maybe, because he's always had very few friends, and as a prince, he's never had the option of loving freely. Whatever the feeling is, Han doesn't like it, and it almost makes him wish he and Minseok were still traveling alone.

 

It's a two and a half day journey, if they make good time, to their next destination, closer to the border. Over dinner that night (roast squirrel for Minseok and Han, and a selection of plants for the wood sprites), Minseok tells Han about the village. "It's a little unusual, though not unheard of, for magical beings to mix in the long-term. Since we're all suited for different environments and styles of living, we often stick to our own kind."

"It's not because we don't like each other, though," Jongdae puts in. "You can see that's not the case." He leans over to smile at Minseok up close, and Minseok smiles back and pats him on the head.

"Anyway, this community has all kinds: elves, gnomes, some kobolds, various shapeshifters..." Minseok says.

"Last I heard, they'd picked up a couple of air sprites who got tired of living up in the mountains," Amber puts in.

"Ah, really?" Minseok asks, surprised. "It's been too long since I stopped by there."

"It sounds interesting." There's still so much Han doesn't know about the magical community, which isn't news, but listening to Minseok, Jongdae and Amber talk, he realizes just how clueless he is. He'll have a lot to learn if he really wants to be a king who looks after all his subjects, not just the human ones.

Minseok suggests that they split the watch so two of them can sleep through tonight and two tomorrow night, but Jongdae objects. "You two have been on the road how long, only getting half nights of sleep? You need to be well rested if you're going to lead us all into battle. We can take care of watch for two nights. Right?" He looks at Amber for confirmation.

"Right," she agrees, giving Minseok a playful shove in the direction of his pack. "Sleep. We'll wake you up in the morning."

Han feels a little guilty, but they have a point. He's grown accustomed to being tired over the past few weeks, between the traveling and everything else, but he needs to be sharp for what's ahead.

Minseok and Han lie down next to each other on their bedrolls (but not together because it's not as cold as the night before and Han would feel strange about it with an audience). Jongdae lies right on the ground on Minseok's other side, while Amber sits next to Han to take first watch. "Rest well!" she says cheerfully.

 

Han falls asleep easily, but he wakes up in the dark with his heart pounding, the nightmare that woke him slipping out of his grasp when he tries to remember what it was. It's not hard to guess, anyway. The last month has given him enough nightmare fodder for a lifetime. He sits up, breathing deeply and trying to calm down.

Amber is curled up beside him, sound asleep, and Jongdae is sitting by the fire. He looks over when Han stirs. "What are you doing awake?"

"I, um..." Han pauses and bites his lip. He feels comfortable confessing his fears to Minseok, who understands, but Jongdae is still little more than a stranger, a stranger whose bright smile makes Han think he hasn't experienced the kind of loss or fear Han's recently become acquainted with.

Jongdae's expression softens. "I heard about what happened to your family. I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it, but...I think it's very admirable that you're able to keep moving forward like this. You must be very strong to do that, so I would never judge you if you can't be strong every minute of the day."

Han is touched by the unexpected words of comfort, and he swallows down the lump in his throat. "Thank you." He doesn't feel strong these days, but he'd like to think that he can be.

"You still have an hour or two before dawn," Jongdae says. "You should get some more sleep if you can."

Before Han can respond, Minseok mumbles, "What's going on?" He opens his eyes slowly, squinting against the firelight, but Han can see his hand already going to his side where he keeps a knife.

"Nothing," Jongdae says. "Han was just going back to sleep."

Minseok rolls to face Han, a sympathetic look on his face that says he knows exactly why Han is awake in the middle of the night. "Sleep." He's still mumbling, and his eyes are hazy like he's not entirely awake. He takes Han's arm and tugs him down, not stopping there but pulling Han into his side, so his head rests on Minseok's shoulder. He slept like this before, the night Fei and Jia found them, but it's different lying down, and with Jongdae watching.

If Jongdae thinks anything, he doesn't comment, so Han ignores him. Lying against Minseok's side, he can feel his slow, steady breathing, and it calms him, as does Minseok's arm firmly wrapped around his back. He pulls his blanket up and leaves his arm draped across Minseok's chest, taking comfort in his warmth. (For someone who gets cold so easily, Minseok feels very warm to Han.)

The last thing Han thinks as he sinks back down toward sleep again is that Jongdae may be right about him being strong, but it's because of Minseok, who props him up when he can't be, that he's able to move forward.

***

Han wakes for the second time to Jongdae's voice. "Rise and shine! We have a long day ahead of us."

Minseok's just waking up too, but he can't get up because Han has shifted during the night, until his head is pillowed squarely in the middle of Minseok's chest. "Morning," Minseok murmurs, sounding a little embarrassed. He drops his hand from where it's resting on Han's hip, and Han sits up slowly, reluctant to lose the warmth of Minseok's body.

"You look cozy," Amber comments, clearly amused at their expense.

"You looked cozy on the horse yesterday," Han retorts, not awake enough yet to filter his words, and Amber laughs loudly.

"Nothing wrong with a good cuddle between friends."

They eat a quick breakfast and then it's back onto their horses. Despite waking up in the night, Han feels good after three nights in a row of almost uninterrupted rest. They're able to keep up a good pace, weaving between the trees that are thinner here than near the wood sprites' home.

Jongdae is chatty again, and Han's not surprised when he leads with, "You and Minseok have gotten close, huh?"

"I don't need more teasing," Han mutters.

Jongdae chuckles, right by his ear. (He's not sitting quite as close as Amber with Minseok, but there's no way to share a horse without sticking close.) "I'm not teasing. I'm just saying that you seem to have gotten comfortable with each other quickly. I don't know if that's normal for you, but it's not for Minseok."

"Baekhyun—uh, one of the fairies—said that too."

"I know Baekhyun." Han doesn't know what to read into Jongdae's dry tone. 

Thinking more about what Jongdae said, Han adds, "I...I haven't really had the chance to get close to many people like this." He's met very few people by chance, and he's never spent so much time alone with just one person. Even with his family, with eight members, it was rare to only have two of them around for long.

"I'm glad," Jongdae says, "that you're...friends. I wouldn't want to fight with you if I thought you were taking advantage of Minseok to help you win over the magical community."

"Never!" Han protests.

"Relax, I can see that," Jongdae assures him. "Why do you think I'm here? You seem to be a good person, and Minseok obviously likes you a lot. That's enough for me."

 

The day passes quickly with all the conversation, and Han sleeps soundly through the night (without the benefit of any cuddling this time). The next morning, they're back on the road, expecting to reach the community by the afternoon. The weather is gloomy and they're all more subdued as a result, but they're spared rain and they still make good time.

Some time in the afternoon, though it's hard to judge with the sun hidden, they arrive in a large cleared area among the trees, a few stumps at the outer edges giving away that it's not entirely natural. Within the clearing, there's a cluster of houses. They're small and simple, but no more so than in (presumably) human villages Han has been too. If Han didn't know better, he'd think they were at an ordinary village, small and off the beaten path but otherwise normal.

Han doesn't see any guards around the village. Does that mean they feel safe or can he just not see their defenses? With magic, it's hard to know. He does see a few children playing in the streets, and a group of women in front of one of the houses. "Is this it?" he asks.

"This is it," Minseok confirms. "And that over there is the leader of this village." He gestures toward the group of women.

As if on cue, the women turn to them. "Is that Minseok I see?" one of them calls. "And some wood sprites too."

"Hello, Yoona," Minseok calls back. "Song Qian." He inclines his head politely at them. "And...I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."

"This is Sunyoung," Yoona says. "She's new here."

"Sunyoung, this is Minseok," the remaining woman, who must be Song Qian, says. "Let's find a place for your horses and then we can finish our introductions." She sounds very sure of herself and Han guesses that she's the leader Minseok was talking about.

They dismount and walk into the village, and many of the inhabitants come out to see them. Minseok knows a lot of them, and they seem to like him, some so enthusiastic in their greetings that Minseok looks embarrassed. A tall young man named Sehun ends up taking their horses, but only after his vaguely disgruntled expression transforms into a wide smile at the sight of Minseok and he insists that they catch up later.

In the village square, if you can call it that (a clear space with a tree at the center and some large rocks to sit on), they sit down with Yoona, Song Qian, Sunyoung and a large group of villagers they picked up along the way. Han looks around curiously at the group. Most of them look human to his eyes—all shapes and sizes of human, but human nonetheless. If he looked more closely, would he see differences, or are they like Minseok, who looks entirely human on the outside?

Jongdae and Amber introduce themselves briefly. "They're from Zhou Mi's woods," Minseok explains, and the villagers nod like they know who he's talking about. 

Then it's Han's turn, and he catches Minseok's eye to ask if he should say his piece now or wait until they have more privacy. Minseok shrugs as if to say _Why not?_ so Han turns to face the group. "I'm Han," he says. "Prince Han."

That gets a rumble of shock and confusion from the crowd. "You brought a human prince to us?" Song Qian asks, eyebrows raised. She doesn't sound angry, but surprised.

"Yes," Minseok says. "And to the wood sprites and the fairies before you. He's come to ask for your help."

"Have you?" Song Qian looks right at Han, and in spite of her calm demeanor, he can't help feeling like he's being judged. "And why do you need our help?"

Han explains the situation briefly, not going into more detail than he has to because there are children listening. "We're on our way to the border to meet the others and then march into Yidan to meet them head-on. If you—any of you—are willing to join with us, we would greatly appreciate your help."

"And why should we join you?" a man in the crowd yells. "Why can't you solve your own problems like we do ours?"

It's not a surprising question at this point, but Han still wishes he had a better answer for it. "I know that the royal family, and humans in general, haven't been much help to you, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't know you existed, but that's no excuse. But...from what I've heard, I think it's admirable how you're living here, all different kinds of people together. I'd like, one day, for that to be possible not only for the magical community but for humans like me too."

Another murmur runs through the crowd. Judging from their expressions, they seem skeptical, but Han pushes on. "The king and queen and all my older brothers are gone. When this is over, if we win, I'll be king. I can't force the human population of the kingdom to accept you, but I'll do everything I can do help that happen. You won't have to be isolated anymore, solving your own problems."

"Do you really want that or are you just saying what you have to to get our help?" That comes from Yoona, and she sounds less harsh, but it's still a pointed question.

"This is what I want," Han insists. "I only learned about magic recently, but I've met so many good people. Elves and witches and giants and will o' the wisps and fairies and wood sprites—so many people have helped me already, and been kind to me despite my ignorance. I want to repay that. I want the humans of this kingdom to know what they're missing and I want you to be able to live openly if you want to."

No one speaks out this time. After a long silence, Song Qian says, "In this village, we make our decisions as a community. We'll discuss it among ourselves and decide what we want to do. Do you have time to stay the night?"

"One night," Minseok says.

"Then you'll be our guests tonight, whatever we decide. For now..." Song Qian looks around. "Sehun, find them a place to rest and something to eat and drink. We'll talk here until we can reach a decision."

The same young man who took their horses approaches. He smiles when he gets close, but more muted than before. "Come with me."

"You don't have to be so gruff," Minseok says, sounding like he's gently chiding a small child. Sehun makes a dismissive noise, and Minseok laughs. To Jongdae, Amber and Han, he says, "This is Sehun. He's an elf like me."

"An elf?" Han asks, surprised. Sehun looks nothing like Minseok, taller and more broad-shoulder, his face longer, with more sharply defined features.

"Yes." There's an emphasis to Minseok's answer that tells Han he shouldn't question it. He can ask Minseok why later, when they're alone.

Sehun shows them to one of the houses. It's small, especially compared to what Han is accustomed to, but cozy, with four chairs arranged around a table when they walk in. Sehun rummages around the kitchen and finds them cheese and half a loaf of bread. "I don't know if you've met Sunyoung yet," he comments as he sets out the food, "but she's a fire sprite and she makes the best bread I've ever had."

"Using magic?" Han asks curiously.

"No, using an oven," Sehun's tone is dry, but his eyes twinkle with amusement. "But she does start the fire with magic, and it lets her keep it at just the right temperature."

It's fascinating, really, the little ways magic fits into people's lives that Han wouldn't have thought of, but it's hard to get excited about that when he knows that outside, the villagers are debating whether to join him. He's less worried this time, knowing that at least he has the fairies and the wood sprites behind him, but he suspects he'll need all the help he can get to win this war. Besides, if he really wants to build the peaceful, cooperative kingdom he's promised, he needs to have the magical community behind him.

Jongdae and Amber lead the conversation, peppering Sehun with questions about the village. He tells them that besides their one fire sprite, they have a few air sprites but no wood sprites. They have elves, kobolds, a family of gremlins, two witches and a wizard and a mix of different shapeshifters. "What about your leader? Song Qian, was it?" Amber asks.

"She's a shapeshifter," Sehun answers. "Werecat."

"That doesn't sound very threatening," Jongdae says. Han has to agree, thinking of the cats that live around the castle, sometimes vicious, but small.

"You've clearly never met a werecat," Minseok says wryly.

It feels like they've been there forever, though it's probably not more than an hour, when there's a knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer, the person outside opens the door. Han's not sure what he's expecting, but it's not for a little boy to come barreling in, almost running into Minseok in his hurry. Minseok, laughing, reaches out to catch him. "Careful, Mark."

"Sorry," the boy says sheepishly. He looks up at Minseok from his current position in the elf's arms. "They want to see you. They told me to come get you."

"All of us?" Minseok asks.

Mark shakes his head. "Just you."

"Okay." Minseok lets go of the boy and gets up. "You'll be fine here, right?" The question is addressed to all of them, but his eyes linger on Han.

"Of course," Han says quickly. "Go." He hopes they want Minseok to ask his opinion, not to tell him that they've already decided against getting involved.

They're quieter after Minseok leaves with Mark, even though he wasn't contributing that much to the conversation before. The tension in the air is greater, or at least it feels that way to Han.

It's already getting dark by the time Minseok comes back. When he opens the door and sees the somber atmosphere, he immediately smiles. "Relax, it's good news. Come on, Song Qian wants to talk about it over dinner."

The crowd in the square has dispersed and Minseok leads them to one of the houses, no bigger or fancier than the others. Song Qian greets them at the door and ushers them inside. Han's surprised to see a familiar face inside, the man who yelled at him from the crowd earlier. He looks much less intimidating now, with a toddler balanced on his hip.

"This is Changmin," Song Qian says, gesturing at him. "I assure you he's usually friendlier to guests than he was earlier." Changmin rolls his eyes but doesn't seem offended. "And this little one is Sungkyung."

Changmin does prove friendlier now. "I still don't know about this plan of yours," he says as they sit at a table far too big for three but good for seven, "but I'll go along with it. After all, who knows how many centuries it'll be before the next time a king offers to acknowledge that we exist?"

Minseok is sitting next to Changmin, and he talks to him a lot over the course of dinner, partly about their plans and partly about all manner of other topics. They seem to know each other well, Minseok looks downright starry eyed around Changmin, excited about everything he has to say. Han's not used to seeing him like this, and it's jarring enough to distract him from his own conversations, his eyes flicking over toward them repeatedly.

Jongdae leans over as they're finishing their meal and whispers, "Minseok really likes Changmin, doesn't he? Do you feel threatened?"

"Huh?" It comes out loud enough that everyone turns to stare at Han, and he feels his face heat up. "Sorry," he mumbles. "It's nothing."

Jongdae chuckles and pats him on the shoulder. Once the others return to their previous conversations, he leans in again, and Han tenses, knowing to be wary now. "It's okay. He's married."

Han keeps quiet this time, but he turns to give Jongdae a confused look. What does it matter if Changmin's married? Jongdae looks back at him for a long moment then shakes his head, seemingly amused at Han's expense, and gives him another pat on the shoulder before turning away to coo at Sungkyung. Han is left confused, and he doesn't like the feeling, so he shrugs off Jongdae's words. He has far more important things to think about.

 

They spend the night in an empty house maintained for occasional guests. Han's worried about the lack of guards around the village, but Minseok assures him that they're safe. "Both their witches are good at protective spells. It'll keep most threats away, and if any make it in, we'll know."

There's one room with a large bed and another with two smaller beds, and Han and Minseok volunteer to share the bigger one. Han ignores the raised eyebrows that earns them from Jongdae and Amber. People can be surprised all they want that a prince is willing to share a bed with a lowly elf traveler, but he doesn't care. There's nothing lowly about Minseok, and nothing, Han is realizing more and more, so special about being a prince.

As they're getting into bed, Han remembers something he wanted to ask Minseok. "Earlier, when you said Sehun's an elf, it seemed like there was more to that story."

"Ah, yes. He's more sensitive about it since he started growing but Sehun's only half elf."

"Half elf?" Han asks, surprised. "And half what?"

"Giant, we think. His mother has always been tight-lipped about it and his father isn't in the picture."

"Elves and giants can have children together?" Sure, Minseok and Chanyeol both look human, but they're not. He wouldn't have expected that magical beings could mix so easily. "Can crossbreeds have children or are they like mules?"

Minseok wrinkles his nose at Han's words. "Please don't ever call Sehun a 'crossbreed' to his face. Or a mule."

"Sorry," Han says, but Minseok looks more amused than offended.

"There aren't a lot of mixed relationships, as far as I know, but they're not unheard of," Minseok tells him. "With humans too. Either we're physically similar enough for it to work or magic makes it possible, but you can get things like quarter elves too. Who knows, if your plan for a more united kingdom works out, maybe we'll have a lot of kids with mixed magical and human parentage."

It's a hard concept for Han to wrap his head around, but not, he thinks, a bad one. "That would be good, probably. Help people get along better."

"I hope so," Minseok says. They're both in bed now, and he pulls the covers over both of them. "But that's still far in the future. For now, let's sleep."

"Sleep sounds good," Han agrees. "Goodnight." This may be the last night for a while that he can sleep securely in a comfortable bed. He's going to enjoy it while it lasts.

***

Han expects to travel the remainder of the way to their rendezvous point with the villagers, but when Song Qian suggests as much, Minseok says, "There's one more place I'd like to stop." At Han's surprised look, he explains, "We're not far from Yixing. I'd like to ask him to come with us."

"The healing witch?" Song Qian asks. "You expect a healing witch to take part in a war?"

"I would never ask him to fight, but we have to try to bring him along. There's no question that we'll have people in need of healing," Minseok says gravely.

Han thinks about that and presses his lips together tightly, trying not to show his fear. He knows that war means people getting hurt and even dying, but there's been so much death already. How much worse will it get before it's over?

"He does like you," Song Qian says, still sounding skeptical. "Maybe for you, he'll agree to come. Either way, with your horses, you should be able to make the journey and arrive at the border crossing at the same time as us. There's no harm in trying."

Later, as they gather their things, Minseok tells Han, "You could travel with the others if you prefer and let me go to Yixing alone." Han's expression must immediately give away how much he doesn't like that idea because Minseok chuckles. "Or you can come with me."

Han nods. He'd probably be safer traveling with Jongdae and Amber and all the villagers who are coming with them, but after everything, he doesn't want to be separated from Minseok.

The villagers who will be joining the fight leave at the same time as Han and Minseok. Han's surprised to see Changmin, holding Sungkyung again, bidding goodbye to Song Qian. "You're not going? he asks.

"We decided one of us should stay with Sungkyung," Changmin tells him, "and she's a better fighter than me." He speaks genuinely, without a hint of ego, but there's a darkness in his eyes that makes Han think it's not so easy to agree to stay behind while his wife goes into danger.

Changmin turns back to Song Qian to give her a kiss and Han feels a stab of guilt but also something else, seeing the family together. His family is gone, and now that he knows he'll never marry Princess Jia, there's no telling if he'll start his own family someday. It would be nice, to have someone to love him the way these two clearly do each other, to have someone who is his.

Han jumps at a sudden poke to his side and turns to find Minseok standing next to him. He smiles when Han looks at him. "You looked sad," he explains. "We can't have that."

Han smiles back even though nothing has really changed. He's so grateful to have Minseok by his side through all of this, making sure he never feels completely alone. He doesn't know what he'd do without him. 

Minseok moves on to say goodbye to Changmin, and Han remembers Jongdae's comment about them last night. He still doesn't get it, but this morning, in the light of day, the way Minseok looks at Changmin no longer seems remarkable. Whatever Han thought he saw, whatever he found so distracting, he can't see it anymore.

***

It seems so quiet traveling with just Minseok after having Jongdae and Amber with them, but Han doesn't mind. It's peaceful, and with war looming, he wants to enjoy the feeling of peace while it lasts. Minseok seems content to ride in silence too, aside from the occasional burst of conversation.

It takes them one full day and most of a second to reach Yixing. He greets them outside of his hut, like he knew they were coming, though as far as Han knows, that's not part of his powers. "Welcome back!" he calls. "I hope you're not here for more healing."

"We're fine," Minseok tells him when they get closer, hopping down from his horse. "We haven't even had to use your charms."

"Good. That's what I like to hear." Yixing smiles, but guardedly; it must be obvious that this isn't a social call. "Come inside and have some tea and we'll talk."

They tie their horses and go into the hut, where Yixing is making tea. He directs Han to sit on the bed and Minseok takes a chair. "So what brings you here?" Yixing asks, his back to them.

"We don't need healing now, but we do need your help," Minseok says.

"With what?" Yixing turns and offers Han a cup, then Minseok.

Minseok waits until he's done before he says bluntly, "To heal people fighting a war."

"A war," Yixing repeats. He looks so serious and it makes Han nervous. He knows there are limits to what Yixing can do, but he'll still feel a lot better with a healer backing them up. 

Minseok and Han explain the situation and Yixing listens quietly, his expression unreadable. Even when Minseok concludes, "So come with us, please," Han still can't tell what Yixing is thinking.

An agonizingly long silence follows Minseok's words. At last, Yixing answers simply, "No."

"No?" Han bursts out before he can catch himself.

"I'm sorry," Yixing says quietly. "I can't be part of a war. I deal in healing, not killing. I'll make you a few more charms before you go, but I won't march with an army, not even yours." There's a finality to his words, and Han's heart sinks.

Minseok frowns at Yixing, the silence growing thick between them. At last, he says, "If that's your choice, I won't argue. We need to leave in the morning, but can you make us another charm or two before then?"

"Of course," Yixing says. "I'll start preparing them right away." With that, he gets to his feet and leaves the hut.

Minseok continues frowning at the door after Yixing leaves. "That's it?" Han asks. "We just let it go?"

"Yixing is very stubborn," Minseok says. "You can argue all you want, but he won't change his mind. But we'll have his charms, and he'll be willing to heal people when it's over and we come back here." That's not much comfort, but Minseok knows Yixing a lot better than Han does. If he says there's nothing they can do, Han unfortunately has to believe him.

***

Yixing sees them off in the morning with a hug for Minseok, and after a moment's consideration, one for Han too. "I'm sorry," he says, and then, before either of them can respond, "Come back safe. I'm looking forward to the bright new kingdom you're going to build."

_Then why won't you help me?_ Han thinks, but he holds his tongue and his anger. He can't understand Yixing's decision, but it's no use lashing out.

Han remembers how impossibly long the trip to Yixing's hut felt on foot and in pain, but now, on horseback, they speed toward the border crossing. As they get closer, a feeling of dread starts to build in Han's chest. This is really happening. Soon, depending on what the fairy scouts report, they'll be marching into Yidan to battle against a dangerous enemy, an army with him at its head.

He _wants_ to fight, wants to make the mages and King Jinyoung pay for what they did to his family and his guards and so many others, but he's scared. What if he's not strong enough? What if after all the effort he went through to gather supporters, his army isn't strong enough? What if they manage to win but he's not ready to be the king he promised to be? How can he ask people to die for him if he's so unsure of himself?

He doesn't say anything, but when they stop at a stream to let their horses drink, Minseok asks, "Are you ready?"

Han thinks about lying, but he can be honest with Minseok. "No." He sighs. "I don't think I will be."

"Me neither," Minseok admits. "I've never fought in a war. But I have a feeling no one is ever ready for a war. If the say they are, they probably just don't know what they're getting into."

"Are you trying to make me feel better?" Han asks dryly. 

Minseok laughs. "I'm just talking. I think I'm all out of wise words. But for what it's worth...all these people agreed to fight because they believe in you, in your reasons for fighting and in what you're going to try to do when it's over. And I do too. So remember what I said before? Let's believe that we're going to win. If we all believe, maybe it'll give us the strength to actually do it."

"Those sounded like pretty wise words to me," Han says with a smile. 

Minseok laughs again, sheepish. "I guess I had a few more left after all."

It's not much, but it does make Han feel a little better. They've come this far. He has to believe that they can see it through to the end. A lot of people are counting on him, but more than that, a lot of people are supporting him. With Minseok and so many other strong, determined people on his side, they have to win.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See first chapter for notes/warnings.)

Even after the part he played in recruiting people to fight and sending messengers to bring more, Han is shocked when they arrive at the meeting point, pass through the protective fairy illusion, and see the size of the army that's gathered there. He can't see the full extent of it because of the trees, but there seem to be people everywhere. He sees well-armed human soldiers, fairies with their dazzling wings exposed, and others he can't identify as readily.

"They really came," Han breathes.

Minseok laughs at his reaction, but when Han looks over, he can see that Minseok looks equally surprised and impressed. "Do you feel a little more confident now?" he asks.

"A little," Han says. If they can bring together an army like this, maybe they really do have a chance of winning.

They leave their horses with a couple of fairies and find the commander of the royal army, a man named Sungmin who Han knows passably well, together with Heechul, Song Qian and another man and woman Han doesn't recognize. The human commander stands respectfully when he sees Han, eyeing the others reproachfully when none of them make any such effort. "Prince. We're glad to see you safe."

"Thank you for coming," Han says. "All of you." He thinks he should have some inspiring words to share, but words have never been his strength.

He's relieved when Heechul jumps in with introductions. "This is Jinki, who came here with a group of redcaps." He indicates the unfamiliar man.

"Redcaps..." Han vaguely recalls a mention of redcaps in a book, something about hats soaked red with blood, but the man in front of him looks relatively harmless.

"Any rumors you've heard are probably greatly exaggerated," Jinki says, eyeing his reaction. "It's good to meet you, prince."

"And this is Boa, representing our wizard contingent."

Han counts it as progress that he knows better than to express surprise at a female wizard. "I appreciate you joining us," he says. He doesn't know much about wizards except that they're magic users, but considering what he's seen of magical fighting, that sounds promising. He knows nothing at all about what redcaps are good for, but they wouldn't be here if Minseok and the others didn't believe they could help.

"No luck with the dwarves?" Minseok asks Heechul.

"As we expected," Heechul says, sounding disgruntled. "We'll see if they come crawling out of their holes to join us once the war is already won."

"What can you do when it comes to dwarfs?" Boa says with a shrug. "We'll manage just fine without them."

They waste no time convening a war council to update Minseok and Han and plan their next move. The army is not as well-organized as Han would like, given the way they're pulled from so many separate communities, but he'll take what he can get. A man named Yunho arrives, and Minseok greets him with a hug and introduces him as the head of a group of traveling elves. 

Another woman joins them soon after, and Han is wondering what she is when she introduces herself as "Taeyeon. Normal human." At Han's surprised reaction, she explains, "Your army picked up some strays along the way. You were so busy looking for magical help you forgot that some of your boring human citizens might want to contribute, even if we don't have fancy powers. Even if we didn't know fancy powers existed until a few days ago."

She has a point, and Han winces, feeling guilty. "I'm glad you're here," he says.

"The wood sprites should be here some time tomorrow," Heechul says. "Zhou Mi picked up some company on the way. No word yet on the giants, but that's to be expected since they're the farthest away."

"So is this everyone?" Minseok asks.

"There are some other groups and individuals, but they're fine without a representative," Song Qian says. "We're just waiting on one more person."

Right on cue, someone Han didn't expect to see here walks over. "Fei?"

She smiles thinly at him. "I know it wasn't the plan, but I wanted to help, so I came to join you. Jongin is around here somewhere too. I told him a boy like him didn't need to go to war, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"He wouldn't," Minseok mutters.

"Just you two?" Han asks. Surely Jia didn't change her mind about coming to fight against her father.

"Just us," Fei confirms. "Everyone else stayed back at the castle. Your friend Junmyeon is doing a good job keeping order there."

Han would like to talk about that, but there are more pressing matters to attend to. For now, Heechul reports on the information his fairy scouts gathered. "King Jinyoung is gathering an army as you suspected. They started moving from the outpost outside the capital toward the border yesterday, but it'll still be some time before they're close. We spotted seventeen mages, but there may be more blending in with the human army."

"Only seventeen?" Han asks. That doesn't sound so serious, given how many people they've gathered, but thinking about what those mages did, he knows they're dangerous.

"Seventeen powerful mages could do serious damage," Boa says, "especially to humans who have no defenses and aren't used to fighting magic."

"Besides that, Yidan has always had a bigger army than us," Sungmin puts in. "Even with all this help, we may well be outnumbered."

"Do they have any other magical help?" Minseok asks.

Heechul shakes his head. "Not from what we could see. I doubt there are many magical beings who would ally with these mages. They're no friends of anyone but their own, and they're hypocrites, conspiring with humans when they've killed others for less."

"Do we know that it's the same mages who've killed before?" asks Yunho.

"No," Heechul admits, "but if there were multiple groups of murderous mages in or near this kingdom, don't you think we'd know?" Han can't say if that's true, but the other magical representatives seem to agree.

They start to plan their attack. Han would like to contribute, but he doesn't have the knowledge about either battle strategy or the capabilities of this army to do much. Sungmin, as the army commander, has the most experience, and he outlines his ideas while the others offer suggestions and corrections (with varying degrees of politeness and patience) about how the groups they represent can contribute to the fight. Han mostly listens, and tries his best to understand. This is it, after everything, and he can only hope that they're ready.

 

There's not much for Han to do once the planning is finished. He can't take a message to the wood sprites or join the wizards and fairies in discussing the most effective ways to use their magic against the mages or help prepare the human army to face a magical enemy for the first time. He feels useless, and none too confident about his own ability to defeat a magical enemy. He hasn't forgotten what it was like to face off against the mages before, how helpless he was against them.

Minseok could make himself useful, but when the council goes their separate ways, he turns to Han and asks, "Would you be up for some sparring? I've never fought in a war before and I want to make sure I'm ready."

"I haven't forgotten you pulling your knife on me practically in your sleep. I think you'll do fine." Han suspects that Minseok is just being nice, trying to help him without saying that that's what he's doing. He appreciates both the tactfulness and the opportunity to get some practice in. Han's been trained to fight, but he's rarely had cause to actually do it, and he's had no preparation for an enemy like this.

"Fighting one measly human prince is different from going up against an army with strong mages among them."

"Hey, who are you calling 'measly?'" Han protests, making Minseok laugh.

"If you don't want me to call you measly, why don't you show me what you can do?"

Han takes the bait, and they find themselves a clear spot at the edges of the camp. There's an unfamiliar group people watching them, which makes Han nervous, but he tries to ignore them. He draws his sword, and Minseok pulls out two dangerous-looking knives. "No magic?" Han asks.

"Not at first," Minseok says. "Let's see what we can do when we're evenly matched."

Whether they're evenly matched or not, Han can't say. Minseok has some physical advantages, but maybe Han has some too; there's a lot he doesn't know about elf physiology. Either way, he'd like to prove that he's not entirely helpless. He adopts a fighting stance, and Minseok does the same. "Ready?"

"Ready," Minseok says. With that, they start moving, circling each other for a short time before Han makes the first blow. Minseok parries with the bigger of his knives, and ducks out of the way of Han's second attempt. He slashes out with one hand toward Han's stomach, but Han manages to jump back out of the way. Minseok grins at him. "You're not bad."

"Did you think I would be?" Han swings his sword on the last word, just barely missing Minseok.

"What do I know about how pampered human princes fight?" Han blocks Minseok's next few efforts with his sword, then slashes at his legs only to have Minseok jump right over it.

"Now I see why that trick is useful," Han comments.

They keep at it for a while, coming close but never quite hitting each other. Han is holding back slightly, not wanting to hurt Minseok, and he imagines Minseok is too, but not by much. They're both getting out of breath and sweating despite the cool weather when Han finally gets past Minseok's defenses, pulling short just shy of touching his throat with his sword. 

They freeze for a few seconds, Minseok holding his breath, and then Han lowers his sword and Minseok laughs. "I see I'll have to eat my words. You're no measly human prince."

"Thank you, I think." Minseok's still teasing, but Han doesn't mind. He feels good, blood pumping from the exercise, and he likes the way Minseok is smiling at him. "But that's only if you don't use your magic. Would I be any match for you then?"

"I don't know." Minseok's smile fades slowly, and Han finds he misses it. This is serious, though; he needs to know what, if anything, he can do against magic.

"Do mages ever use magic like yours?" he asks.

"Some can," Minseok says.

"Then show me. I want to know what I'm up against."

Minseok nods soberly. "All right. My fire magic isn't strong enough to fight with, but..." He holds out his hand. "Elemental magic has the greatest effect with physical contact, like what I did to the door in the castle, if you remember. Do everything you can to keep a magic user from touching you."

Han can see something forming in Minseok's hand, a ball of ice. "But there are still other ways it can be dangerous. Fire should be obvious, but don't underestimate other elements." The ball of ice grows until it fills Minseok's hand with his fingers stretched out. He gives a flick of his wrist, and the ice shapes itself into a spear and goes flying past Han to embed itself in a tree behind him. Wide-eyed, Han goes to look and sees that it's pierced deep into the tree.

"How can I defend against that?" he asks, the confidence he gained from winning their earlier sparring match evaporating in an instant. 

"With a good sword or shield or some quick dodging. In the case of fire, I recommend dodging." Minseok's expression is sympathetic. "Bear in mind that the range of this magic is limited. Even the most powerful fire user couldn't turn an entire battlefield into an inferno. If you can keep a distance between you and dodge any focused attacks, you'll be okay."

"And those energy blasts?" Han asks. He remembers all too well the speed with which they hit him and the pain they caused. Even if he knew what they were and knew they were coming, would he have been able to avoid them?

Minseok frowns briefly before he presses his lips together to hide it. "Those are more difficult, since they're fast and hard to see. Distance can still protect you, and it's not impossible to dodge them if you look for the disruption in the air. But magic is the most effective defense against them. A charm or enchanted armor would be best if we can get you one, but...if it comes down to it, don't be a hero. Let those with the magic to do it fight those mages. The most important thing for you to do in this battle is survive."

Han doesn't like to hear it, not that there's so little he can do and not that he _shouldn't_ do more than he has to, but Minseok's right. If Han dies in this war, there's no one to take his place as king. It's important for him to be here, both for himself and to prove to the kingdom and especially the magical population what he's made of, but he needs to survive.

"I'll do my best," he reluctantly agrees.

***

The wood sprites arrive in the afternoon the next day, and Han is pleased to see that their numbers have swelled beyond the representatives of Zhou Mi's group. The leaders meet again with Zhou Mi and Kyuhyun, another leader who accompanied him, outlining their plans and deciding how the wood sprites will fit into them. Then it's time to prepare themselves to head into Yidan.

In the evening, they eat a solid meal thanks to the hunting and gathering skills of so many bored fighters waiting around and prepare to leave at first light. Han lays out his worn sleeping roll next to Minseok's in the middle of a group of fairies where he'll be safe, but he's not ready to sleep quite yet. He says he's going to get a drink, and he does, but then he stands by the stream, close enough to hear voices from the camp but alone for the moment.

Tomorrow, they'll be marching into Yidan. They're not starting a war—it was started as soon as Han was attacked under orders from King Jinyoung— but they're continuing it. Han reminds himself that he's only defending his kingdom against the army that Yidan raised first. Still, however justified he may be in fighting back, it's not a good feeling. People will die in this war and Han feels like the responsibility for that will be on his shoulders; there's no one else left to bear it.

He wonders what his father would tell him now, what advice he'd have to offer. He wonders if his mother would comfort him, or if she'd stand back and tell him to be strong. His parents loved him and always treated him well, but they weren't soft. They'd know that this is necessary, as hard it's going to be. Han wishes they were here with him to tell him that.

It's hard to believe it, but it's been almost two weeks since he found the bodies of his entire family, and another since the barrier went up, when he assumes they died. Han's been focusing on the task at hand, recruiting fighters and keeping the kingdom safe, but the awareness of what happened to his parents and brothers is always lurking in the corners of his mind. It hurts to think about it, to remember that no matter what happens now, and no matter how much he wishes they were here with him, they're gone forever.

Han doesn't know how long he stands there, eyes on the running water and thoughts far away, but it must be a while because suddenly he hears Minseok say, "You were gone so long I was afraid you fell in. Is everything okay?"

Han reluctantly turns around. His eyes are dry, but something of what he's thinking must show on his face because Minseok's expression shifts to one of real concern. "What are you thinking about?" he asks. "If you want to tell me."

Han glances around briefly to make sure they're alone, but once he sees that they are, he doesn't hesitate. "I shouldn't be here," he says. "Or maybe I should, but I shouldn't be in charge." He laughs, short and humorless. "Not that I really am in charge when I'm so clueless, but...I'm the youngest son. I was never meant to lead an army into battle. I was never supposed to be the next king. Even if I had married Princess Jia, it would be her kingdom before mine."

"But you are here," Minseok says quietly. "You're all we've got, so I hope you're brave enough to see this through." Han nods without much conviction. "I think you are. You've fought through a lot to make it this far, and it's amazing, really, the things people find they can do when they have to. Not that you _have_ to, but..."

"I do," Han says. "I won't run away." He wanted to, he remembers, not so long ago when everything seemed hopeless, but now he won't give up. He owes his kingdom and his family and his men who died protecting him that much.

"Exactly." Minseok steps closer and then pulls Han into a hug without hesitation. 

Han responds in kind, wrapping his arms around Minseok's back. Minseok's only hugged him like this—a full, tight, comforting hug—once before, that awful night in the castle, but it feels perfectly natural. It wouldn't with anyone else, not even Junmyeon, who Han has known since they were children, but there's something special about Minseok. There's something about him that makes Han forget about propriety and royal distance and wanting to seem strong, and he's very grateful for that right now.

"You know..." Minseok says quietly. "I'm very sorry about your family, and about you being attacked and about all of this happening, but I'm glad that I met you. If we have to do this, I'm glad that you're here, not anyone else."

"Yeah?" It's supposed to be a joke, but Han doesn't quite manage it, touched by Minseok's words.

"Yeah." Minseok hugs Han a little tighter and murmurs into his shoulder, "Be careful. I want you here when this is all over, and not just because we need you."

Han is grateful that the comforting weight of Minseok in his arms makes it feel impossible that either of them could not make it through this, because that's a possibility he's not even willing to consider. "You too," Han says. Even though anyone could come to the stream and see him in this moment of weakness, he doesn't let go of Minseok for a long time.

***

Han marches into Yidan on horseback at the front of the army. Minseok is up there with him, and Sungmin and Boa and Jinki and Yunho, spread out across the front line of foot soldiers. Heechul, who laughed when Sungmin offered him a horse, is flying in front at the far end of the line. The other leaders said they preferred to travel on foot, where they'd be ready to use their skills effectively, or simply where they were more comfortable.

The humans are all well-armed, and so are some of the magical fighters. Jinki's small redcap contingent wields an array of sharp iron weapons that makes Han suspect their reputations weren't entirely exaggerated. The fairies' weaponry is more delicate but no less dangerous, and their bodies are covered in armor that leaves only their wings exposed. Minseok, who until now kept his weapons concealed, is bristling with knives, plus a short sword at his hip, and Yunho and the other elves look similar.

Others seem wholly unprepared for battle. The wood sprites are unarmed and dressed in their usual leaves like they're out for a casual stroll. Some of the wizards have a single weapon or a shield, but many have nothing but their hands. Before they left, Han spotted Song Qian wearing only a flimsy dress, looking more like she was ready for bed than for a battle. Han has no doubt that they're more ready to fight than they appear, but it's quite a contrast to what he expects of soldiers.

Han himself is wearing borrowed chain mail, a light helmet he's not convinced will do much good if anything hits him, and a protection charm courtesy of Yoona that she told him won't stop any attack but will deter them. At his hip is the sword he's carried for years but never actually used in battle, and he also has a small shield and a shiny dagger courtesy of the fairies. He doesn't feel prepared to fight, but that has very little to do with his weapons and armor. He's hoping that when it comes down to it, all the training he had just in case he needed to fight someday will prove worthwhile.

It feels a little silly, on the one hand, knowing that they're not likely to encounter the opposing army today without the assistance of some mass teleporting magic (which Han was told doesn't exist). At the same time, being suited up and ready for battle if it comes makes it all feel real. The days of traveling around with Minseok, meeting new people and learning new things and preparing for future fighting, are done. They're at war.

 

The first day passes uneventfully, anticlimactically, the army moving forward at a pace that, to Han on his horse, seems painfully slow. In the evening, after they stop for the night, Baekhyun arrives from the giants with mixed news. 

"The good news is that a contingent of giants is on their way," he reports. "The bad news is that they may not arrive until after we expect to meet the other army."

Han's heart sinks. He doesn't know if they _need_ the giants, but he wants all the help they can get in this fight. "How long after are we talking about?"

"I'm not sure." Baekhyun sounds displeased about having to admit that. "They're on horseback and they're trying to hurry, but with giants, horses can only go so fast."

Heechul sends Baekhyun back to tell the giants to hurry as much as they can without arriving too tired to fight, and that, unfortunately, is all they can do. "Whatever happens happens," Minseok says after Baekhyun leaves and the group that gathered to hear his report disperses. "We could use the giants' help, of course, but we'll manage without them if we have to." Han doesn't know if that's true, but all he can do is wait and hope.

***

The second day is much like the first, with the same slow, plodding progress forward and no sign of the giants. Han has been tense, anxiously awaiting the coming conflict, but the steady marching lulls him into a false sense of calm, almost letting him forget what awaits them.

Then, on the morning of the third day, the fairy scouts report that they're within a few hours of the opposing army. Today is the day they'll meet them in what may well be the only battle of this war. Han doesn't know if he should think "Finally!" or wish that they could have a few more days, but it's probably for the best. It won't get any easier to fight, and they'll become more tired as time passes. Besides, Han is tired of this waiting, this tension, these nerves that he can't shake off. He's not ready to fight, but he's ready to get this over with.

At last, as the sun rises high in the sky, the other army comes into view. If Han wasn't prepared to see the size of his own army, he's definitely not prepared to see the one they're up against. The scouts claimed the size wasn't much different from theirs with the magical fighters included, but it looks enormous. Can they win against such a huge group?

They get closer and closer and closer and Han draws his sword and then suddenly they meet and everything becomes chaos. Han is acting on instinct, but thankfully his instinct is good; it seems his training was worth something after all. He swings and slashes, trying to control his horse with his other hand, his shield hanging from his arm in case he needs it.

He's lucky to be mounted despite of the challenge of keeping his horse from bolting, providing him some separation from the action on the ground, but his legs are vulnerable and there are arrows flying. One whizzes unpleasantly close to him, and Han sets his jaw and readjusts his helmet.

He has no idea who's winning. Even from his slightly raised vantage point, all he sees is people and horses and metal in all directions. Occasionally, a fairy rises above the field, dazzling wings drawing Han's eyes and forcing him to remember to focus on what's around him. He can see other signs of magical fighting too, inexplicable streams of water or bursts of fire he's glad to not be on the receiving end of. 

An enemy soldier goes down screaming near Han, engulfed in flames, his suffering quickly extinguished with a sword thrust. One of theirs falls to a sword thrust, but the killer follows him into death, speared through the neck by the branchlike arm of a wood sprite. (Suddenly, Han understands why Minseok wanted the wood sprites fighting with them.) There's blood and noise everywhere, people screaming in pain and yelling in fury, and it's a struggle to not be overwhelmed by it.

Han takes a small cut to the leg himself, but he barely feels it, caught up in the moment. He's not afraid of a little cut, but he is afraid of the mages, who must be out there somewhere. He remembers all too clearly how they cut down his men like it was nothing, and remembers Minseok telling him to stay away. The magical fighters may be able to do more against them, but he's worried about the human soldiers, and about himself. He knows more about magic than he did before, but he's scarcely more capable of fighting the mages if they find him.

He's starting to think they might not be there after all when a nearby wood sprite screams, and before she covers the wound with her hand, he sees an unmistakable energy blast hole where the wood of her arm meets the vulnerable flesh of her shoulder. Han looks around and spots a man on horseback, dressed like the other enemy soldiers but suspiciously unarmed. He's too close for comfort but not close enough for Han, with no magic at his disposal, to attack him.

Two wood sprites closer to the mage notice him too. One is Jongdae, Han thinks, but it's hard to tell with his hair replaced by what looks like tree bark. The other he recognizes too, though he barely met her—Krystal, he thinks her name was. Together, moving quickly, they converge on the mage and pull him from his horse with inhuman strength. 

Han has to look away to stop a human soldier slashing at his horse, and he determinedly doesn't think about how easily the man goes down with blood pouring from his neck. It's not even a minute before he looks back to find out what's happened to the mage, but Krystal is on the ground, worryingly still. Jongdae is struggling with the mage, a struggle that ends abruptly when Kibum, one of the redcaps, stabs him in two places at once with his viciously pointed weapons, following it up with a few more stabs to be sure he's finished.

_One down,_ Han thinks. _How many more to go?_ People have shifted and he can't see Krystal anymore. It's good to see that these mages can be killed, but thinking about her, Han can't feel more than a certain grim satisfaction.

Han fights off two more enemy soldiers before he hears someone yell his name. It's his name only, no title, and that tells him who it must be. He whirls around as fast as his horse will let him, trying to find out why Minseok is calling him. He spots the threat—another mage on horseback dangerously close to him—only a moment before a spear of ice flies at her. It hits her in the chest and Han is sure she's done for, but the ice suddenly splinters and disappears when it touches her.

The mage turns her attention back to Han and he freezes, panicked. She'd kill him long before he could get close enough to do any damage to her. He's defenseless. He looks for Minseok, hoping against hope that there's something he can do, but Han can't even see him anymore. _Is this it?_ he wonders.

The mage raises her hand, but then suddenly she goes very still. It takes a moment for Han to realize why: Minseok is standing next to her horse, both hands on her leg, ice radiating out from them. A moment later, sharp spears drive into her from all sides, and she tumbles from her horse. If she's not dead, she will be shortly. It's a shock, seeing Minseok kill someone, but he's saved Han's life again.

There's no time to dwell on what happened. Both sides are taking losses, but the vulnerable human soldiers of the enemy's army, unprepared to face magical foes, are suffering the worst, turning the numbers in favor of Han's army. At the same time, there are a number of soldiers on horseback standing strong, and Han suspects that many of them are mages. They're capable of a lot of damage on their own, and he won't be convinced of their victory until they're taken down.

Sure enough, Han sees a fairy, too far away for him to identify, tumble to the ground, one wing hanging by a thread. The magical fighters are better equipped to deal with the mages, but that doesn't mean they're not in danger. Four of the mages come together, and Han can't see exactly what they're doing, but foot soldiers fall around them as they surge forward. Han is seized by fear. Are they coming for him? What will happen if they do? Can anyone on his side stand against four mages together?

Then he hears a voice yelling, high above the battlefield. He risks a glance backward and sees a fairy. He can't see who it is, but he realizes once he makes out the words: "Giants! The giants are here!" It's Baekhyun, arrived with reinforcements. Another glance backward tells Han that there are _a lot_ of giants, and that's all he sees before they come thundering into battle on their horses.

Maybe they would have won anyway, but with the giants, they win quickly, as much thanks to the giants' arrival buoying their spirits as to the giants' strength. One mage after another falls until at last one of the only remaining enemy soldiers on horseback cries, "Surrender! We surrender! The demons are gone! Spare the rest of us!"

The action on the field stops dead, and Han realizes with a start that people are looking to him, expecting him to accept or refuse the surrender. He hasn't felt like much of a leader in this battle, but he is the prince. When it comes down to it, what happens now is his decision. "How do we know he's not a mage?" he asks.

It comes out that wizards can identify mages, and there's a flurry of activity as all the wizards are rounded up to confirm that neither that man nor any of the other surviving soldiers are mages. Minseok rides over to Han, and he doesn't say anything, but it's a comfort both to have him there and to see that he's alive and minimally injured. 

At last, Boa makes her way over to them. "They're clear," she says. "No mages."

Han looks over at Minseok for support, but for once, he doesn't need help making his decision. These men are only soldiers following the orders of a corrupt king. They don't need to die for that. "We accept!" he declares.

Only a few people nearby react, and Han's confused until Minseok laughs. "You're too quiet," he explains. In a louder voice than Han's ever heard from him, he repeats, "We accept! Lay down your weapons and you won't be harmed!"

Han holds his breath, but he didn't need to worry. All around them, the enemy soldiers drop their weapons. _It's over,_ he thinks. It's hard to believe, but they won. It's a relief, but looking at the bodies littering the ground, it's hard to feel happy about it.

The giants take charge of rounding up the surviving enemy soldiers, their intimidating size ensuring that no one will try to resist. The rest of them set about assessing the damage and treating the wounded. "Be careful with the healing charms," Minseok whispers just after they dismount from their horses. "We don't have enough to waste."

Waste? Han looks at Minseok with wide eyes. Is it a waste to save someone's life? "No, no, I don't mean..." Minseok hastily backpedals. "But some will recover with non-magical treatment, and others..." He looks around and frowns. "Others are beyond any help."

"But how will I know if it's hopeless?" Han asks. He's never used a healing charm. Minseok used one on him, but he has no memory of that, so he doesn't know how far gone he was before.

"You'll know." Minseok presses his lips together tightly and doesn't say anything more.

Right away, Amber runs over to them. Her eyes are red and she looks panicked, nothing like the cheerful person who traveled with them. "You have healing charms, don't you?" she asks. "Please, can I use one? Krystal's hurt."

"Krystal? She's alive?" Han asks, surprised. Minseok gestures for him to go, and Han says, "I'll come with you."

They find Krystal surrounded by a small group of wood sprites, including a distraught Jongdae pressing both hands to her side. "She's lost a lot of blood," he says bleakly.

Han can see that blood spread around her, so much of it. (It's too dark to be fresh human blood, but that must be what wood sprites bleed.) Is this what Minseok meant about some people being beyond help? But Jongdae and Amber are both looking pleadingly at him, and then Krystal's eyes slit open and he realizes that she's still conscious. There's no way he can stand back and let her die when there's a chance he could help.

Han pulls out the charm and moves toward Krystal, but Amber holds out her hand. "Let me." When he hesitates, she explains, "Don't you have another? Someone else might need your help."

She's right. Han hands over the charm. He wants to say something comforting, but nothing comes to mind, so only turns away, hoping that when he sees them next, Krystal will be all right. He doesn't want to think about the alternative.

Han sees a cluster of fairies gathered like the group around Krystal, but when he approaches, he realizes that they're surrounding a fallen comrade who is unequivocally beyond his help. Guilt twists in his stomach as he moves on, leaving them to their grief. They've won their victory, but not without cost.

Han's second healing charm goes to a giant whose name he doesn't know. He took an arrow to the back and can't move his legs, the other giant attending to him says, and is struggling even to breathe. He's conscious, but his fast, shallow breathing and pallor tell Han he won't last long without help. He relinquishes the healing charm immediately, and the healthy giant thanks him before hurrying over to help his friend.

_If only Yixing were here,_ Han thinks, but even for Yixing, there are limits. They'd need an army of healing witches to fix all the injuries today. Do that many of them even exist?

He's saved from following that train of thought further by Minseok running over to him. "What is it?" Han asks, seeing from the look on Minseok's face that it's not good news.

"We counted the mages," Minseok says. "There's only fourteen."

"The fairies said there were seventeen, didn't they?"

Minseok nods. "If we were off by one, I'd think they miscounted, but three is a big difference."

"Do you think the king kept some back? For protection."

"Could be," Minseok agrees. "Or maybe the leaders didn't want to risk themselves in battle. Either way, if they're still out there, we can't risk leaving them to come after us later. We need to find them quickly, too, if we don't want word of what happened here to reach them first."

"Okay." Han thought they were done, but his resolve to continue quickly hardens. King Jinyoung is the one behind all of this, and there's a good chance that the missing mages are the ones in charge of their group. If anyone deserves to pay for the deaths here on the battlefield and back in Daratso, it's them.

They gather the leaders together, everyone except Sungmin. When Han asks after him, Taeyeon says curtly, "He didn't make it." That hurts, even if Han didn't know him well, but there's no time to dwell on it now.

The plan forms quickly. Using every horse they have, including any the giants brought that aren't completely exhausted, a group of them will ride through the night in hopes of reaching the capital tomorrow. It's not ideal to attack without the full force of their army, but it's the only way to move quickly enough. Any uninjured fairies, who can move faster than any horse, will increase their numbers.

There's no question in Han's mind that he needs to go, and he doesn't give anyone a chance to say otherwise. Minseok also volunteers immediately, and Song Qian, and they agree that Fei should come in case they need help finding their targets. Their remaining spots will be filled with any healthy magical fighters willing to come along; they all agree that the human soldiers shouldn't be brought into what is sure to be a magic-heavy battle.

A surprising number of people volunteer, considering that they just fought a battle and many of them have friends lying injured or dead. Maybe that's why they're so ready to keep fighting, so that the people ultimately responsible for what happened here can pay for it. They don't waste time debating, letting whoever finds a horse first take it.

As they wait, Minseok rides over and presses something into Han's hand. He looks down, surprised to see one of the healing charms. "You didn't use it?"

"Not yet," Minseok says, keeping his voice low. "Given what's coming, I think it's best to save it."

"Then you—" Han starts, but Minseok shakes his head.

"You keep it. We're going to the same place anyway." Without further argument, Han pockets the charm, hoping against hope that he won't have cause to use it. 

Soon, all the able horses are taken, and without fanfare, they're on their way. They ride until dark and all through the night, but Han doesn't feel tired. He's focused on the goal, on bringing this to a real end. Killing King Jinyoung and the mage leaders, assuming that's how this will end, won't bring his family back, but it'll eliminate the threat toward Daratso. With them gone and Jia on the throne instead, Han and his kingdom will be able, he hopes, to move on and find peace again.

They reach the walls of the capital city early in the morning and waste no time asking to be let in: one of the elves, Hyoyeon, destroys the door with a blast of fire magic. Donghae, a kobold from Song Qian's village, knocks out the inside guard before he can raise the alarm, and the giant Taekwoon does the same to the guard outside.

They continue in much the same fashion inside, blasting and bashing their way quickly to the castle walls and right inside when they get there, dismounting to pile into the castle. It's a little disturbing, honestly, how easy it is for them to break through the castle's defenses, but the city is unprepared for the attack and the vast majority of their army is a few days' march away. Besides, a gathering of so much magical force in one place is not a regular occurrence.

Once the whole group is inside, Fei stops abruptly, frowning. "What is it?" asks Heechul, hovering just off the ground.

"They're not all in one place," Fei explains. "The people we want. Three of them are together but one is somewhere else."

"Can you tell us where?" Minseok asks. "We can split up." He sounds uncharacteristically impatient, and Han remembers that he has particular reason to want these mages dead too.

"The three are that way," Fei says, pointing left. "Probably the throne room, but I can't tell from here. The other one is that way. Close." She points to the right.

"Let's keep it simple," Heechul says. He moves a little to the right. "Everyone to my right, go right. Everyone to my left, go left."

It's as good an idea as any, Heechul's position sending a smaller group to the right where there's only one person. Han doesn't argue, moving to the left, but he does look over to see Minseok joining the others going right. Minseok notices him looking and gives a quick wave of his hand, as if to say, "See you," and then they're pushed apart by the rush of people behind them.

Han ends up in the middle of the group being guided by Fei. Sure enough, they end up at the door to the throne room. The door is closed, but Hyoyeon makes short work of it, and the group rushes into the room. There, by the throne, is King Jinyoung, speaking with a man and a woman Han suspects are mages. There are human guards in the room too, but Han isn't worried about them. They're no match for the magical power gathered here.

The king scrambles to his feet, and Han is vindictively pleased to see him looking scared. "Don't come any closer!" he yells. "Do you know who these two are? Some of the most powerful mages this world has ever seen. You're no match for them."

"Aren't we?" That's Song Qian, her voice half a growl as she starts to change into her cat form.

"I'm not your enemy!" the king cries, trying a different tack. "This kingdom acknowledges magic. Come here and support me and you'll be appreciated."

"That's not true!" Han yells, unable to keep listening quietly. "No one in this kingdom but the royal family knows about magic!"

"I see reports of your death have been exaggerated, Prince Han. Too bad your family wasn't so lucky." It's all Han can do to hold himself back from running forward and attacking the king, knowing the mages would make short work of him up close.

"Can we kill him, prince?" Donghae asks. "We don't have to let him talk, do we?"

"You'd kill for this prince?" King Jinyoung interrupts before Han can answer. "His family is the reason humans deny your existence. They were so afraid of you that they erased you from the history books, made everyone forget you so you'd have no power over them."

"That was generations ago, assuming you're even telling the truth. It doesn't matter now," Heechul says, sounding bored. "Really, prince, can we kill him?"

Han has many more questions, but this man who caused him so much pain doesn't even deserve to talk anymore. Whatever he knows, whatever his motivations, it doesn't matter now. "Yes," he says. "You can kill him."

"Wait!" the king protests. "Don't you want to know why—" He breaks off as the fighters surge toward him and all but shrieks, "Kill them! Kill them all!"

The mages spring into action and the battle begins, much smaller than before, but no less harrowing. Han's not a good judge, but he thinks the king was telling the truth that these mages are particularly powerful. They're dangerous too, at close range like this. A fairy goes down with a scream, wings crackling with sparks from the female mage's elemental magic. The male mage shows no sign of the same, but he's sending out energy blasts in all directions. One comes in Han's direction, but he spots the strange disruption of the air that marks it and manages to dodge out of the way so that it barely scrapes him.

Han takes down a human guard, and he's fighting a second when a big cat that he assumes is Song Qian pounces on his opponent. Then, a sudden scream draws his attention back to the throne, where King Jinyoung is engulfed in flames from Hyoyeon's magic. He doesn't scream for long; Jonghyun, one of the redcaps, uses a long spear to put an end to his suffering. Han fleetingly thinks that he doesn't deserve the reprieve, but he pushes the thought aside. As much as he hates the king, he doesn't want to be that kind of person.

The mages are harder to defeat than the weak human king, but they're outnumbered and outgunned. The man goes down first, brought to the ground by the combined efforts of Donghae and Song Qian. Another human guard draws Han's attention away, a flurry of sword swings following until Han dodges and knocks the man's legs out from under him, leaving them cut badly enough to keep him down. 

He looks over at the mage again to see Heechul standing over him, a short sword in each hand, glowing with a light so unnatural it must be magical. The mage manages to raise a hand, no doubt intending to do some magic of his own, but before he can, Heechul strikes with both swords, so quickly Han can barely follow the motion. The mage lets out a cry that chokes off after one more strike, and Han doesn't have to see him to know he's dead.

The female mage is still going, blocking jets of fire from Hyoyeon, and dodging all other attacks. She's bleeding somewhere, Han can see, but it doesn't seem to be slowing her down. Han moves to join the fight, but a hand on his shoulder stops him. "Let the others handle it," Fei says. "You need to stay safe if this is going to be worth it."

Reluctantly, Han hangs back, watching the action. With the other mage dead and all the human guards neutralized, it's the entire group against her. It's clear that the king wasn't bragging when he said she was very powerful, but she doesn't stand a chance against so many opponents. Hyoyeon manages to hit her with a jet of fire that renders one arm useless, and Kyungsoo dives down from above to strike at her neck, drawing blood. She staggers, and the group surrounding her surges inward. The cheer that rises up after a moment tells Han that she's finished.

Satisfied the battle is won, Han slips out of the room. The others may want to celebrate, but he's not ready to do the same. The enemy is defeated, but not without cost, and nothing will bring back what he lost. He finds himself thinking of Princess Jia back in Daratso. Her father was a monster, but he was still her father, and now he's dead. How can Han be happy about that? Beyond that, there are so many questions he may never know the answers to with the king gone.

Suddenly, a voice pulls Han out of his thoughts. "Prince Han!" He looks around trying to figure out who's yelling his name so desperately. "Prince! Where are you?"

A moment later, Baekhyun comes flying down the hall at high speed. "What's wrong?" Han calls to him.

Baekhyun's eyes are wide and panicked and Han is afraid to hear what he has to say. "It's Minseok. He's hurt. Do you still have a healing charm?"

_No,_ Han thinks. _No, no, not Minseok._ He doesn't have to ask if it's bad when it's written all over Baekhyun's face. "I have one. Where is—"

"I'll take it!" Baekhyun barks with uncharacteristic force that startles Han. Then, more quietly but no less frantic, "I can get there faster." He takes the charm from Han and says, "He's in the great hall," before taking off again. Han quickly gets to his feet and runs after him.

He finds Minseok near the door in the great hall. Baekhyun is kneeling beside him, his wings trembling as he presses the healing charm to Minseok's forehead. Minseok looks awful; there's blood all over him, much of it from a wound that cuts across his chest and down to his stomach, still gaping open despite the healing. His eyes are closed, his placid expression in spite of the serious injury telling Han he's unconscious, and his skin looks deathly pale underneath the blood.

"There was another mage," Baekhyun tells Han. "The wisp must not have picked up on him because we weren't looking for him specifically, and he snuck up on us. Minseok and Sunyoung and I ran after him and we got him, but Minseok—"

"Is it working?" Han cuts in. He can't see any change in Minseok, his eyes still closed and the cut on his torso as frightening as before.

"I think so. I've never used one of these before." Baekhyun sounds every bit as worried as him, but Han can't help feeling annoyed with him. 

"Let me do it," he snaps, reaching for the charm. Baekhyun gives him an irritated look but lets him take it.

Han pulls Minseok's head into his lap and cups his cheek with the charm in his palm. He's never used a charm either, but he thinks he feels a faint warmth emanating from it in contrast to the unnatural cold of Minseok's skin. "Please wake up." He barely realizes that he's speaking out loud. "Please, Minseok, I need you to wake up." 

Minseok can't die. Han has lost so many people already and Minseok is the only reason he was able to keep going, the only reason they were able to win this fight. Minseok has become very important to him and he can't die now, after everything, when they're finally safe. He can't die because he helped Han. He can't just die.

Han is barely remembering to breathe, and when Minseok suddenly draws in a sharp breath, Han does the same. "Minseok?" His voice wavers, but he doesn't care. Nothing matters now except for Minseok being okay. "Hang on, Minseok. I've got you. You're going to be all right."

Minseok's eyes open slowly like it's a struggle to do even that much. He doesn't speak and his brow creases, his jaw clenching. He's in pain, and no wonder, with the cut on his torso still gaping open. The charm has brought him back to consciousness, but will it be enough to keep him alive? This is their last charm. If it doesn't work, there's nothing else Han can do for him, and he can't bear the thought of having to helplessly watch Minseok die.

He doesn't know if the charm is still working, but he keeps it against Minseok's cheek. A few people run into the room and Han starts, but it's only their allies. Kyungsoo is in front, followed by Fei, with Heechul and Song Qian behind her. "There you are!" Song Qian calls. "You disappeared and we thought the worst." As she gets closer, she realizes who is lying on the ground and her eyes go wide. "Minseok?"

Everyone crowds around Minseok, and Han can see the concern on their faces, which only makes him more worried. They have some injuries too, still-bleeding cuts and darkening bruises, but nothing like Minseok. No doubt there are others who are badly injured, but right now, Han can only think about Minseok. 

"Do we have any more healing charms?" Heechul asks in a low voice, as if Minseok can hear him.

Han shakes his head and Heechul presses his lips together. "What about your healing witch?" Song Qian asks. "Is he too far away?"

They're days away from Yixing and all it takes is one glance at Minseok to see that he won't last that long. Fei puts a hand on Han's arm and he jumps. He gives her a quizzical look, but it's a few seconds before she says, "He's not far Within riding distance."

"Who?" Han asks, perplexed.

"The healing witch." Her words make more sense as Han remembers her ability to find what people want, but how can Yixing be close by? 

He doesn't understand, but if she's right, then the reason doesn't matter. "Can you find him?" he asks. "Can you take Minseok to him?"

His heart sinks as Fei shakes her head. "I haven't recovered enough to transport him, but I can take you there on horseback." She frowns in Minseok's direction, and Han understands why; can he ride a horse like this? Will he even last long enough to try?

"Okay," Han says decisively. "Let's go." The charm feels cold in his hand and so does Minseok, still. If not for the sight of his chest moving, Han would think he was already gone. There's no other choice but to find Yixing. Either they'll make it and he'll be able to help Minseok, or...Han refuses to consider the alternative.

"Wait, prince," Song Qian protests. "Let someone else go."

Han is already moving to slip his arms under Minseok's body. "I'm going." It makes more sense for him not to when there are things to be done here and they're not yet sure it's safe, but he has to see this through. He won't be able to think about anything else until he knows that Minseok is all right, and after everything Minseok has done for him, he owes him this much.

Nobody else tries to argue as Han scoops Minseok up off the floor as carefully as he can. Minseok's eyes are closed again, but his expression is pinched and he groans softly when Han picks him up. "I know it hurts," Han whispers, "but we're going to get you to Yixing and then you'll be okay."

Minseok is lighter than Han expected, but the weight of the situation is heavy on his shoulders. What will he do if they don't make it in time? He can't let himself consider the possibility that Minseok won't make it. It's selfish when other people have died, but Minseok of all people can't. Han won't let him die.

They find two horses and with the help of Fei and Baekhyun, Han gets Minseok onto the horse in front of him. He slumps forward against the horse's neck and Han wraps an arm around him to pull him back, using the other to hold the reins. Minseok groans, louder this time, and Han realizes that his arm is pressing into the wound on his chest. "I'm sorry." He lifts his arm, but the cut is long and he can't avoid touching it.

Fei climbs onto the other horse. "Follow me!" she calls, then starts to ride.

Han is keenly aware of every bump, trying to balance the need for speed with not making Minseok's injuries worse. Minseok's breathing is harsh and Han can only imagine how much pain he's in, but there's nothing to be done about that right now. 

"It's not far," he murmurs. "Just hold on a little longer, okay?" He has no idea if Minseok's even listening, but maybe the sound of his voice will comfort him if nothing else. It comforts Han, in a way, to have something, however small, that he can do. "You'll be fine. You're strong. It'll take more than a little cut to take you down."

They go down a hill and Minseok hisses in pain. "Just hold on," Han says, voice rising. " _Please._ Hold on, hold on, hold on." He chants the words like a mantra, channeling all of his fervent hope into them. Minseok has to live. He has to. That's all there is to it.

They leave the city and emerge into a broad plain and that's when Han sees a single figure off in the distance. Could that be Yixing? This far away, he can't even be sure he's seeing a person and not a tree. He doesn't have reason to doubt Fei, but what if she's wrong? What if he's gotten his hopes up for nothing?

It's hard to judge distance on such flat ground and it feels like they've been riding forever before the figure starts to get closer. Han can see that it's a person wearing a hood, but he can't tell if he's looking at a man or a woman, let alone if it's Yixing. "Is that him?" he calls over to Fei.

"Should be!" Han breathes an internal sigh of relief at that, but only a small one. Minseok is limp in his hold and if not for the sound of his breathing, Han would be afraid they were already too late. If they don't reach Yixing soon, they will be.

When they're finally almost there, Fei waves an arm at the person. He pushes his hood back and Han's heart leaps because it _is_ inexplicably, miraculously, Yixing. He runs toward them and they pull up next to him. "Prince—" he starts, but he breaks off when he notices the reason they're here. "Minseok! What happened? Never mind, just help me get him down."

Fei jumps down from her horse to help, and she and Yixing carefully lower an unresponsive Minseok to the ground. Han joins them as Yixing kneels beside Minseok, pulling back the ripped fabric of his clothing to see the cut. "Oh, Minseok, what did you do?" He sounds terribly upset, and Han can see guilt and fear on his face. "I've got you now. Just stay with me."

He places his hands gently on Minseok's chest. Minseok doesn't react to the touch, which makes Han very worried, but he tells himself it's okay now that Yixing is here. As awful as it looks, Yixing won't let Minseok die.

It feels like hours pass—tense, interminable hours—before at last Yixing pulls his hands away. Minseok hasn't opened his eyes and fear clutches Han's heart that Yixing is giving up, but then Minseok's eyes flutter open. He looks at Yixing, perplexed. "You're here?" His voice is small and scratchy, but it's there. He's alive.

Yixing bends forward suddenly, all the way down to press his forehead against Minseok's shoulder. "You're all right," he breathes, and Han is shocked to hear surprise in his voice, like he didn't think Minseok would make it. "I'm so sorry, Minseok. I should have been here."

Minseok slowly, gingerly lifts his arm to pat Yixing on the back. "You're here now. It's okay."

Yixing sits up again, and Han can still see the same guilt in his eyes. "Thank you for coming," he says. "If you'd still been at home..."

Yixing frowns. "I thought about it a lot after you left, and I realized that I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that people died who I could have saved. If something happened to any of my friends, especially..." He darts a glance over at Minseok. "But I couldn't let anyone die on my watch because of some stubborn scruples."

"Thank you," Minseok says firmly, without qualifications.

Yixing smiles briefly, but then he turns businesslike. "I didn't heal you all the way because I assume there are more people who need me. You need to be careful and rest now, and get that bandaged as soon as possible. I'll heal you more later if I can, but you'll be able to recover from here without my help if you have to. Just don't do anything stupid." He eyes Minseok sternly, and Minseok smiles.

"I promise. No heroics."

"Good," Yixing says. "Now, I should..."

"I'll take you," Fei offers. "I can find where you're needed." Yixing doesn't ask how, only nods and stands up. "Can you get back without us?" Fei asks.

"We're fine," Han says. There's no one here, and if anyone comes, he'll keep Minseok safe. He won't let anyone hurt him again.

Han watches Fei and Yixing ride away before turning back to Minseok. He's struggling to sit up, clearly still weak, and Han hurries to help him. "How do you feel?" he asks worriedly. The cut on Minseok's chest looks smaller, though the blood that didn't disappear with healing makes it hard to tell, but it's not gone.

"I don't feel like I'm going to die anymore, which at this point feels amazing." Minseok smiles grimly, but Han is just happy to see any smile at all. He's alive.

Han keeps his arm around Minseok's back even after he's safely upright, and for a moment he just stares at Minseok, assuring himself that he's really here and alive. He came so close to losing Minseok, and thinking of that makes him realize how important Minseok has become to him, how much he needs him here.

Minseok looks back at him, curiosity and a lot more that's harder to read in his eyes. "Prince..."

"You never call me 'prince' when we're alone," Han points out, his voice soft. He doesn't understand what this moment means, but he's afraid of breaking it.

"Han." Minseok matches his tone, Han's name coming out in a low murmur.

Without waiting for Minseok to say anything more, without stopping to think about what he's doing, Han kisses Minseok square on the lips. Minseok's lips are warm now, and dry, but soft and full as they press into Han's. Han doesn't know what he's doing, but kissing Minseok feels so right.

They pull apart slowly, and Han feels strangely calm, after everything. They look at each other up close and then Minseok smiles, still small, but no longer grim. "So almost dying is what it takes, huh?"

"You were expecting that?" Han thinks maybe he should be embarrassed when he didn't know it was coming himself, but the calmness persists. Minseok is smiling at him, and they won this war and survived. They're alive and it's over and he kissed Minseok and it was nice, really nice.

Minseok shrugs, a flicker of pain crossing his face at the ill-advised movement. "I didn't think you'd ever do anything. I couldn't tell if you'd thought about it or if you hadn't realized. Besides, princes tend toward arranged marriages. With women. Human women."

"Well, I'm obviously not going to be marrying Princess Jia..." Marriage is the last thing on Han's mind in general, and he doesn't want to think about Jia and the reasons he won't be marrying her right now.

Minseok just nods before he slowly leans in for another kiss. His lips linger on Han's and his hand comes up to clutch the side of his jacket. A third kiss follows, and then another, their lips moving against each other's, and then Minseok lets out a pleased-sounding sigh and lowers his head to Han's shoulder. Han wants to hug him tight, but he's afraid of hurting Minseok, so he just rubs his back where his hand is still resting. "I'm glad you're okay," he murmurs. "If you..." He can't finish the thought. "I'm glad."

They stay like that in silence for a while before finally Minseok says, without moving, "We should go back."

"Probably," Han agrees.

Minseok lifts his head, and he's close enough for their breaths to mingle. "Later..."

It sounds like a question, and Han thinks he understands what Minseok is asking. He answers unhesitatingly with a kiss. It deepens this time, pulling Han in enough that he doesn't want to stop, but Minseok is right. People are waiting for them, worrying about them, and they need to go. Reluctantly, he pulls away, flashing Minseok a smile. Minseok, looking almost shy, smiles right back at him.

They ride back into the city together. Han keeps his arm around Minseok even though he might not need it anymore, and takes comfort in the warmth that's returned to his body and the way Minseok smiled at him before. The more he thinks about Minseok's lips on his, Minseok in his arms, Minseok by his side through so much, the more right what happened feels. It's been a long time coming, in retrospect, and even if he didn't understand until now, he knows that he wants to keep Minseok by his side longer—forever, if he can.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (See first chapter for notes/warnings.)

It's been two months since Han and his army returned to the capital city. It's been three months since they won the brief but painful war, and in one more week, it will be four months since the mages attacked the castle, killing Han's family and so many others. Han never used to keep track of time so carefully, but he's found comfort in it in recent days, holding on to what came before as he works to move forward.

It hasn't been easy. The people of Daratso have been shaken by violence striking right at the heart of their kingdom, their illusions of safety and peace shattered. Han faces a lot of skepticism: about him, as the youngest prince, unready to be a king, and about his plans to integrate the magical residents of the kingdom into human society. There's a long road ahead of him, he knows, and many days he doubts his ability to reach the end, but he has to try.

He's happy, at least, with the steps he's taken so far. He's spread word in the capital and out to the farthest reaches of the kingdom about magic, all the secrets that have been hidden from humans for so long. There's been a lot of fear and uncertainty in response, but he thinks—hopes—that it will pass. It's been a long time since the humans of this kingdom knew about their magical brethren; it's to be expected that they'll need some time to adjust.

Han himself is still learning about magic, about elves and fairies and dwarves and everyone else, what they are and what they can do. He's still trying to understand, too, how the existence of magical beings and magic users could be so thoroughly erased from the history of the kingdom and the minds of the humans in it. Now that he's met so many people who have known about and lived with magic all this time, right under his nose, it's hard to understand how humans could be so ignorant.

Thanks to Fei, he was able to find a document so old it nearly crumbled in his hands, buried in the back corner of a dusty room stuffed with long forgotten royal pronouncements, declaring that "No denizen of this kingdom shall make mention of magic or those imbued with it in speech or writing or other communication, and all written record of such shall be destroyed immediately." That told him when and by who (his too-many-greats-to-count grandfather) but not why, or how the ban was so complete and so lasting despite children's tales of magic being easy to come by.

"It's easier than you might think for people to not see things they don't want to see, or to find explanations that fit with their worldview," Minseok said when Han talked to him about it. "If I hadn't told you that magic caused your injuries and magic was how Yixing healed you, you probably would've done the same."

"Then why did you tell me?" Han asked. "You met humans before me, right? And you didn't tell them about magic."

Minseok shrugged, a fond smile playing over his lips. "I never met a human in circumstances so connected to magic. I'm not a good enough liar to make up a believable story. Or maybe...maybe I just knew you'd turn out to be special to me." (That was the end of that conversation, when Han decided to kiss the cute smile off of Minseok's face.)

For now, Han is making peace with the fact that many of his questions may never be answered and trying to move forward, to create the kingdom he promised he would. To that end, he's formed a magical council, with representatives of all the groups that wished to participate. They're his teachers and advisors in all things magical, and he hopes for them, together with his human advisors, to have a real say in running the kingdom. That's not how his parents ruled, but Han is the leader of a different kind of kingdom, and he wants to be a different kind of king.

He's not king yet. The few royal advisors who survived the massacre in the castle by the luck of being elsewhere that day were prepared to crown him as soon as he returned, but he refused. He wanted an opportunity to prove himself first, to begin laying the framework for the future of the kingdom before becoming its king. And while he didn't tell the advisors that, he wasn't ready to become king until he'd had a chance to mourn the sudden loss of the only king he'd ever known.

He's still not ready, but he can't keep putting it off any longer. Tomorrow is his coronation, the day he'll officially be crowned king. It may not change anything in a practical sense, but it feels significant all the same. Beyond the fact that he'll finally be king in name, after the coronation, most of his magical council will be returning to their homes. They'll be back regularly, and they'll be available if he summons them, but with a few exceptions, they won't be here to help and guide him as they have until now.

Today is their last meeting before going their separate ways for now, and while Han doesn't admit to being nervous, he thinks everyone can tell. They're going out of their way to reassure him, and to make him smile. He's grateful for their efforts, and grateful to have met these people, despite the difficult circumstances that brought them together.

"We're going to have to get used to calling you king," Heechul says when all their official business is concluded, flashing him a cheeky grin that says he won't treat Han any more respectfully when he's king. "Well, except for Minseok..."

"Don't be jealous," Minseok responds mildly.

Heechul laughs. "Never. He's all yours."

"You'll make a good king," says Liyin, the witch representative, ignoring the joking.

"And we're all very proud of you for what you've accomplished so far," Zhou Mi adds with a fatherly smile.

"I want to thank all of you for helping me get here," Han says earnestly. "I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future." He smiles, taking care to acknowledge each person. "I won't say goodbye yet. I'll see you all at the coronation tomorrow."

"Looking forward to the party!" Heechul puts in.

"I hope it lives up to your expectations." Han gets to his feet and nods goodbye, catching Minseok's eye with a smile before he turns and heads on his way. They both have things to do today, but Han will see him later.

He thinks about that as he walks off, accompanied by the requisite guards and servants. He wasn't sure where that first kiss with Minseok would lead, if the bond they'd forged under extreme circumstances would last once the war was over and life went back to as normal as it could be after everything, but he shouldn't have worried. Aside from some time to recover from his injuries while Han dealt with the chaos in Yidan following the death of their king, Minseok has been with him through everything, supporting him just like before.

The rest has been a little more complicated, sorting out his feelings for Minseok, and figuring out what they can and want to do beyond the touching that became a familiar habit during their travels together and a little tentative kissing. Han feels his inexperience keenly, but Minseok is always patient with him and seems to care for him no matter how awkwardly he fumbles through his words and actions sometimes.

Most everyone in the castle knows about them, and probably a lot of people outside the castle, though it's nothing formal yet. Han doesn't know what will happen if (when, he hopes) he ends up with a common elf man instead of marrying a princess, but he's already bucked tradition quite a bit. With luck, by the time it does become official, his people won't be surprised by anything from him. If not...well, he hopes they'll understand that this kingdom is still standing thanks to Minseok; if that's not enough to put him in favor, nothing will be.

 

Han's duties for the day conclude with a banquet with some honored guests, mostly humans, but a few important magical figures too. Junmyeon walks down the hall with him, all smiles. "It's hard to believe you're going to be crowned king tomorrow. It feels like we're still children sometimes."

"You say that like you haven't been old since we were ten," Han teases. There's some truth to it; Junmyeon has always been more mature than him, and it's three years already since his father passed away and left him in charge.

"While you'll never be old, with that face," Junmyeon retorts. Then, softening, he adds, "But I have faith in you, and I'm here to support you."

"Thank you," Han says. With so many familiar faces gone from the castle, he's more grateful than ever to have Junmyeon here, both as a noble and as a friend.

Han bids Junmyeon goodbye and is just about to go into his rooms when suddenly a servant calls, "Prince!" He spots her coming around the corner, out of breath like she's been running. "I'm sorry to bother you, but one of the stablehands...he thought something was strange and he told me to inform you just in case..."

"What is it?" Han asks, struggling to keep his voice calm. She sounds panicked, and he's afraid to hear the answer.

"Your—that is, um, Minseok. He asked them to prepare a horse for him."

" _What_?" Han can't believe his ears. Minseok never rides a horse in the city, and there's no way he would leave the capital on the eve of Han's coronation without telling him. "Are you sure?"

"I'm only telling you what the stablehand said, but he sounded sure, I think..."

"Thank you," Han says shortly. To his attendants, he adds, "Stay here," ignoring their protests as he runs off toward the royal stables. He's not dressed for running and it's undignified for a prince, let alone someone who'll be king tomorrow, but he doesn't care. He has to know what's going on, to find Minseok before it's too late.

When he arrives at the stables, they're quiet. Is he too late already? "Minseok?" he calls out. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Prince?" The stablehand looks surprised to see him, so he must not be the one who tipped the servant off. "What are you doing here?"

"Has Minseok been here?" he asks impatiently.

"Yes, he just left. He—"

"Which way did he go?" Han demands.

"Toward the side gate. Do you—"

Han doesn't wait to hear his question, just runs out of the stables and in the direction of the side gate. He needs to find Minseok. Maybe he's overreacting and there's nothing to worry about, but why wouldn't Minseok tell him if he was going somewhere outside the city walls? What reason would he have to leave? He's seemed happy, being here in the castle with Han. Surely Han would have realized if he wasn't. Surely Minseok would have told him if he wasn't; he's never lied to Han before.

Is it possible that there's something sinister at play here? A threat, maybe, or some kind of mind control compelling Minseok to leave. The castle is safer from magic than before, protected with spells and charms, but who's to say that something couldn't sneak past those magical defenses, something wanting to hurt Han by taking Minseok away.

He arrives at the gate without finding Minseok. "Did Minseok pass through here?" he asks before the guards can say a word.

"Yes, just now," one guard says.

"Let me through."

"Wait, prince, you shouldn't—" the other guard protests.

"Let me through!" He survived an assassination attempt and two battles, plus weeks on the road. He can survive walking through his own city.

The guards let him out without further objections, and Han hurries down the path, hoping to catch Minseok before he leaves the capital. Once he's outside the city walls, Han will be hard-pressed to find him without magical help.

He makes it almost to the bottom of the hill around the castle and he's getting really worried when he spots a familiar figure on horseback up ahead. "Minseok!" he yells.

He half expects Minseok to run. With him on horseback, there's no way Han could keep up. To Han's relief, he doesn't try to get away, reining his horse in and turning around slowly, like he's reluctant to do it. Han jogs the rest of the way over to stand by Minseok's horse. "Minseok, where are you going?"

The moon is bright, illuminating Minseok's face, but Han can't tell what he's thinking. He dismounts to stand in front of Han and looks down at the ground, drawing a slow breath in and letting it out even more slowly before he speaks. "I thought if I left tonight, with all the coronation preparations, you wouldn't notice."

That answers the question of whether Minseok is leaving of his own free will but raises a whole host of others. "Where were you going?" Han asks plaintively. "Why would you leave?" They shouldn't be having this conversation out here, but there's no one around and he can't wait. He needs to understand.

Minseok chews on his lower lip, and Han wants to scream or maybe to cry as he waits for Minseok to answer. Finally, he says, "I don't belong here."

Han has no idea what to make of that. "What do you mean?"

"I don't belong here," Minseok repeats. He meets Han's eyes now, gaze steady and sad. "I'm no one. Just a commoner, a lone, traveling elf without a home or a family. I don't belong in a castle with a king."

It's a shock to see Minseok so insecure when he's always seemed so strong and sure of himself while Han wavered. Has he been feeling this all along and keeping it to himself?

Han shakes his head, an emphatic denial. "Minseok... Do you even understand what you've done? You saved my life. Twice, in fact. You led me to the castle safely and you're the only reason I didn't give up completely after what I saw here. You planned how to fight and who to recruit and what to say to convince them. You may think you're alone, but you have so many friends all over. That's why all those magical communities agreed to fight with me, because they trusted _you_. I'm only going to be king because of you."

He laughs with a trace of bitterness. "If anyone doesn't belong here, it's me. I'm not strong like you and I don't know what I'm doing. I can't—I don't want to do this without you." It's hard to admit how uncertain he still is, but with Minseok, as before, it's okay. He grabs Minseok's hands and holds them tight. "If you really want to leave, I won't stop you, but don't think you don't deserve to be here. Don't think I don't need you here."

"You..." Minseok smiles, weak but real. "You shouldn't underestimate yourself either. You wouldn't have made it this far if you weren't strong, even with my help. You may not feel ready to lead this kingdom, but you're trying hard and everyone can see that. We can see that you believe in what you're doing, and that makes people want to follow you."

It feels really good to hear those words from Minseok, but Han can't forget what this is about. "Then why do you want to leave?"

"I..." Minseok hesitates. "You really want me here? I'm not a princess or a noble or anyone, really."

"You're Minseok," Han says firmly, squeezing Minseok's hands. "And I love you." He's never said those words before, but he doesn't hesitate. "I love you and I want you here with me more than any princess or noble or anyone else."

Minseok's smile starts small but grows, and the sight warms Han's heart and makes his fear melt away. "Okay. If you really want me to stay, I'll stay."

"That is...if you want to," Han awkwardly adds.

Minseok laughs and pulls his hands out of Han's to hug him tight. "I want to. I love you too, and not because you're a prince."

"And when I'm a king?" Han jokes to hide how happy Minseok's words make him.

"I'll still love you," Minseok says, chuckling softly by Han's ear. "Because you're you." He lets go of Han and takes the horse's reins. "Let's go back. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

"I do." Han takes Minseok's free hand as they turn back toward the castle, and doesn't let go even long after they're safely inside.

***

Han's heart threatens to pound its way out of his chest as he kneels, waiting for the crown to be placed on his head. It's silly to be so scared when it's only a crown and he's faced far more frightening things, but he is anyway. He tries to hide it, at least, keeping his back straight and his expression placid, reminding himself to breathe evenly.

One of the human advisors, Chilhyun, and Boa representing the magical advisors are holding the crown, and they lower it slowly until they place it on his head. It's heavy, but Han doesn't let it show, squaring his shoulders as he carefully rises to his feet. He makes it up without doing anything embarrassing like tripping or dropping the crown, and Chilhyun declares, "I present your new king, King Han!"

Han looks around at the assembled crowd, clapping and cheering with varying degrees of decorum. He can't help thinking how many people aren't here—his family, of course, and so many of the advisors and nobles and servants he grew up with—but he doesn't feel alone up here. Not everyone from before is gone, and there are many faces that have become familiar and precious in the last few months.

Off to the side, he sees Fei, who together with a human named Jackson is representing the also recently crowned Queen Jia, making it clear that the war between their kingdoms is over. His entire council, magical and human, is arrayed around him to show their support. Junmyeon is on the other side, beaming like he's the one who just became king. Next to him is Minseok, watching the proceedings with a small smile on his face. Han catches his eye, and Minseok nods approvingly, looking proud.

There are many people to talk to, and then a much larger banquet, and then more people Han has to greet, but at last, the day winds down and he can make his way to his rooms (the same ones as before for now, though someday he'll move into the ones that used to be his parents') and relax. When he arrives, Minseok is there waiting for him. He looks strange in more formal clothes than Han has ever seen him wear, but a very good kind of strange.

Minseok gets up and comes over to give Han a kiss. "Come on," he says, taking Han's wrist to pull him into the bedroom where they can be alone. It's a very different setting, but it reminds Han of before, when it was just him and Minseok alone in the woods. It feels like a long time ago, perhaps a sign of how far he's come since then. "You've had a long day, King Han," Minseok says, kissing him again.

"Since when do you call me by my title?" Han murmurs, and Minseok smiles up close.

"Han," he amends in the same low tone. "You've had a long day, haven't you?"

"I have." Another kiss, longer this time.

"How does it feel?" Minseok asks. "Do you feel ready to be king now?"

Han considers for a moment. "No," he admits. "I don't know if I ever will be."

"That's okay." Minseok rubs his hands comfortingly on Han's shoulders, then brings them up to cup his cheeks. "I don't think anyone ever feels ready for anything so big. But you've accomplished a lot all the same, and I'm sure you'll do a lot more."

Han smiles and responds with a kiss. Ready or not, he's king now, and he's determined to do the best he can, for the sake of his people, and for his parents and all his brothers who never got to be kings. With so many good people behind him and with Minseok by his side, he's prepared to face the challenge.


End file.
